The Foundations of Culturally Appropriate Integrated Services for LGBT Individuals

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2:00-3:30pm Eastern/11:00am-12:30pm Pacific

Integrated primary care and behavioral health providers can create culturally appropriate, highly accessible integrated care to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community with behavioral health conditions. Join CIHS and the CDC National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control to discuss ways to evaluate current organizational barriers to accessing care, strategies for reducing these barriers, and actionable steps for implementing culturally appropriate services. Review how to internally evaluate your agency’s services, and leave with an understanding of best practices and resources to increase engagement efforts with the LGBT community.

Presenters: Andrea Washington, LCSW-S, SUD and Integrated Care Coordinator, Montrose Center; Dr. Scout, Director, Network for LGBT Health Equity at CenterLink; and National LGBT Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute

Register Today at www.integration.samhsa.gov/about-us/webinars
Registration is free.
Closed Captioning Available Upon Request

DBSA Peer Specialist Training Opportunities

DBSA is nationally-known for quality peer specialist training, the first step toward joining the rapidly-growing peer workforce in the changing healthcare delivery system. DBSA is proud to announce our upcoming line-up of peer training courses; please spread the word to your peers and community!

 

DBSA Peer Specialist Core Training

July 28–August 1, 2014
San Diego, CA
Download application (PDF) 
Apply Online!
Application deadline is July 3.

 

 

Coming Soon!

Visit the DBSA Veteran Peer Specialist page for application information and the latest details on upcoming trainings.

DBSA Veteran Peer Specialist Training(meets VA requirements for peer support staff)

September 15–20, 2014
Los Angeles, CA
December 2014
Chicago, IL

DBSA Core Peer Specialist Training

September 29–October 3, 2014
Chicago, IL
November 2014
Charleston, WV

 

 

Save the Dates!

October 13–14, 2014
iNAPS National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia

October 15, 2014
Post iNAPS Conference Events in Atlanta, Georgia
9 AM–12 PM
“We DO talk about that: Diagnosis, Treatments, and the Role of Peer Support”
Contact Training@DBSAlliance.org for more information.

October 15–19, 2014
Post iNAPS Conference Events in Atlanta, Georgia:
Next Steps Peer Specialist Continuing Education and Facilitator Training
Keep checking back at www.DBSAlliance.org/Training for updates!

NEWS FROM MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA

Mental Health America 2014 Annual Conference, September 10-12, Atlanta, Georgia—Parity and the Affordable Care Act: Bridging Gaps to Advance Mental Health. Don't miss this unique opportunity to discuss what we have learned in the process of implementing the Affordable Care and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Acts, and to collaborate to identify next steps and opportunities for action. 

Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of Mental Health America, was interviewed on CNN’s New Day on issues related to mental health legislation in Congress. He also spoke about how mental health issues affected his own family. You can watch the interview here.

Statement of Mental Health America on “Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act of 2014.”

IN THE NEWS
Rates of Suicide Rose in Europe, North America during Recession: New research suggests that the economic recession could be linked with more than 10,000 suicides across North America and Europe. A study found that between 2008 and 2010, rates of suicide rose in the European Union, Canada and the United States. The increase was four times higher among men than women, according to the report published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. In conducting the study, researchers from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine examined information on suicides from the World Health Organization. The data included 24 countries in the European Union as well as Canada and the United States. The investigators found a reversal in the decline in suicides in the European Union that coincided with the beginning of the economic crisis in 2007. By 2009, suicides had increased by 6.5 percent. Meanwhile, suicides in Canada rose by 4.5 percent between 2007 and 2010. In the United States there was a 4.8 percent increase during this time period, the study found. According to the study authors, these figures are "conservative" estimates. They said that the actual number of suicides since the recession hit are likely much greater than expected. (HealthDay News, 6/12/14)

Colorado Bans Putting People with Mental Illness in Solitary Confinement: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed legislation ensuring that inmates with serious mental illness will no longer be kept in solitary confinement. The law, which makes an exception for “exigent circumstances,” is part of a trend of state and federal authorities rethinking the use of solitary confinement, as they weigh prison safety against the potential psychiatric impact of extreme isolation. Maine and New Mexico have taken steps to reduce their use of solitary confinement, and Nevada and Texas are studying the issue. The federal Bureau of Prisons has enlisted consultants to study its use of segregated detention. The report is expected by the end of the year. (The Wall Street Journal, 6/6/14)

More U.S. Service Members Receiving Treatment for Mental Health Conditions: About 3.5 percent of U.S. military personnel were in treatment for mental health conditions in 2012—up from just 1 percent in 2000, a new military study finds. Experts say the rise likely due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the military's efforts to get more soldiers into treatment. Past studies have suggested that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and other mental health conditions are much more common in the military than the treatment rates would imply. One found that psychiatric diagnoses among active-duty troops rose from just over 5 percent in 2003, to 9 percent in 2011. The findings, reported in a recent issue of the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, are based on medical records from active-duty U.S. service members for the years 2000 to 2012. The study found that at any given point in 2012, about one in 29 troops were in treatment for a mental health disorder—which was 2.5 times the rate in 2000. (HealthDay News, 6/13/14)

Union Seeks Federal Investigation of Kaiser Mental Health Services: The National Union of Healthcare Workers has asked the Department of Justice for a criminal investigation into what it says are care delays and falsification of records by Kaiser Permanente affecting thousands of mental health patients. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the union accuses the health system (with which it had been negotiating) of wrongdoings that "mirror" the recently-uncovered practices at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics—like concealing long wait times and awarding bonuses that incentivized managers to keep staffing low. Kaiser Permanente released a statement dismissing the letter as a union ploy aimed at discrediting the HMO in the midst of “protracted” labor negotiations. Kaiser said the union was trying to capitalize on the national scandal surrounding the VA. The union alleges that chronic under-staffing at Kaiser mental health programs has resulted in long wait times for people seeking individual therapy, and that it manipulated its records to conceal these wait periods from state inspectors. (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 6/12/14)

Expanded Coverage for Young Adults under ACA Increased Inpatient Hospital Visits for Mental Health: Expanded coverage for young adults under the Affordable Care Act substantially raised inpatient hospital visits related to mental health, a new study finds. Researchers caution that the finding might not be good news. Greater hospital use by the newly insured might be caused by inadequate outpatient resources to treat mental health patients earlier and less expensively. The study, based on a big national sample from community hospitals, found the law also increased young people's hospital use. Total inpatient visits for those aged 19 to 25 increased 3.5 percent compared with people aged 27 to 29, who couldn't be on their parents' plans. Mental health admissions increased much more—by 9 percent. A large portion of psychiatric admissions came through emergency departments. The study did not look at the volume of outpatient mental health care. But even if they had, they wouldn't have produced a final answer on the effectiveness of expanded coverage. (MedPage Today, 6/11/14)

IN DEPTH
The New York Times reports on “New Findings on Timing and Range of Maternal Mental Illness.”
Pacific Standard looks at laws that allow a state to terminate a parent’s connection to a child if authorities conclude a mother or father has a mental illness.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper takes part in an experiment to help understand how people live with a mental illness.
AP reports on continued long waits for VA mental health care.
California Health Report looks at “Despite Need, Indigenous Farmworkers Have Little Access to Mental Health Services in California.”

LATEST RESEARCH
PTSD, Depressive Episode Increases Risk for Preterm Birth: Women with both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode were four times more likely to have a preterm birth, according to a new study. Among 2654 women in the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers found little increased risk of premature birth (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) in women suffering from depression alone. Initially PTSD appeared to be a potent risk factor, but they found risk was only elevated for those individuals who had both PTSD and depression.  All analyses controlled for use of harmful substances and for antidepressants. Previous studies had found an increased risk of late term premature birth—after 34 weeks but prior to 37 weeks gestation—in women taking antidepressants. (MedPage Today, 6/12/14)

Digital Media Syndication

Find free health content for your websites, apps, and social media

CDC, FDA, NIH, and HHS are partnering for public health to create an easy way for our public health partners to access digital resources—like web content, images, video, data, infographics, social media content, and more—that can support your existing local activities. Through digital media syndication, Federal science-based resources can be combined with your ongoing communication activities to coordinate health messaging for maximum impact and reach those at greatest risk.

Q: What Does this Really Mean?
A: Convenient and Free Access to Valuable Digital Tools
High-quality content and multimedia developed at the federal level can be used locally in a number of ways and is designed to be easily distributed using existing channels, including:

• Local websites – Textual content is unbranded and displayed within your site's structure, maintaining its look-and-feel.
• Social media profiles – Posts are science-based and formatted for quick dissemination on your social profiles, like Facebook and Twitter.
• Video and image sharing sites – Videos, images, and infographics can be easily added to your YouTube, Flickr, and Pinterest profiles.
• Newsletters and e-mails – Narrative text provides relevant content for your outreach activities and existing audiences.
• Data Visualization – Data and data visualizations bring timely federal and state data to you.

Q: Do I Need It?
A: Yes! Expand Your Reach, Engage Your Audiences, and Save Time & Money
This is a valuable opportunity to do more with less.

• Expand your public health impact with high-quality multimedia and science-based content provided by trusted partners
• Find and use timely social and digital content from a growing communications library for your existing initiatives.
• Worry less about content development and upkeep with automatically updating, low-maintenance tools.

You can find content for syndication from multiple sites, including:

Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health

Q: Sounds Great! How Do I Get Started?
A: Three Easy Steps to More Health Content
These resources are offered through federal digital media syndication sites that are easy to use, regardless of your technical expertise or size of your team. When you syndicate content, automatic updates mean minimal maintenance on your part, and technical assistance and support mean help is always available.
1. Register and get anytime access to high-quality content, plus alerts when new content is added.

2. Discover content across agencies

3. Send feedback and ask questions

Posted at http://www.sophe.org/DigitalMediaSyndication.cfm

 

LGBT Resources Available

National Council Celebrates LGBT Pride Month

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, and to celebrate, the National Council is promoting several resources from SAMHSA to support community providers’ efforts to improve service delivery and outcomes for LGBT individuals.

LGBT Training Curricula for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Practitioners – A list of six training curricula for behavioral health and primary care practitioners to help them assess, treat, and refer LGBT clients in a culturally sensitive manner.

A Practitioner's Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children - Offers information and resources to help practitioners throughout health and social service systems implement best practices in engaging and helping families and caregivers to support their LGBT children.

A Provider's Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender – Informs clinicians and administrators about substance abuse treatment approaches that are sensitive to LGBT clients. Covers cultural, clinical, health, administrative, and legal issues as well as alliance building.

Capitol Connector Update from National Council for Behavioral Health

2015 HHS Appropriations On Hold After Subcommittee Markup Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over healthcare released its proposed fiscal year 2015 funding levels for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While program-level detail is not yet available, the top-line numbers held few surprises for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Read More

Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Climbs by 6M vs. Pre-Health Reform Era Newly released data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicate that Medicaid enrollment continued to grow throughout April, beyond the March 31 end of the open enrollment period in state and federal health insurance exchanges. Because enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) can occur year-round, enrollment under the programs continues to grow. The new data show roughly six million more Medicaid and CHIP enrollees as compared to the period immediately preceding the initial open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read More National Council for Behavioral Health [communications@thenationalcouncil.org]