August 2006 NACBHDD Newsletter
The Newsletter of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
In this Issue...
The 2006 NACBHDD Newsletter series is brought to you by:
Medicaid Update
NACBHD Senior Policy Analyst Attends Medicaid Commission Meeting
Maeghan Gilmore, NACBHD's senior policy analyst, attended the July meeting of the Medicaid Commission, held in Virginia. The bipartisan Commission, which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was formed under Public Law 92-463, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, to, according to the Commission web site "advise the Secretary [of HHS] on ways to modernize the Medicaid program so that it can provide high-quality health care to its beneficiaries in a financially sustainable way." The Commission started meeting in July 2005 and has met several times since then, with the last meeting slated for this September. NACBHD submitted written comments to the Commission; the comments focused on the principles of county government as they relate to Medicaid reform and the possible unintended consequences of reform for individuals with disabilities. To view NACBHD's comments to the Commission, click here.
The Commission meetings are open to the public and are announced in the Federal Register. There were many D.C. advocates at the July meeting, which covered health information technology and quality. (The content of the meetings does not necessarily relate to current Congressional actions and advocacy discussions about Medicaid, according to Gilmore.)
The Commission has produced one paper on its short-term findings, which addresses what can be done in the next five years, and one final paper with longer-term recommendations related to the sustainability of the program.
For more information on the Medicaid Commission, including a membership roster and proceedings of the meetings, see http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/medicaid.
Letter From American Public Human Services Administration (APHSA) and National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD) To HHS Regarding Medicaid Regulatory Changes in 2007 Budget
On August 15, APHSA and NASMD sent a letter to HHS Secretary Leavitt requesting that the Medicaid regulatory changes proposed in President Bush's 2007 budget not be implemented, saying that the proposals threaten the states' ability to "pay their share of Medicaid costs." Concerns about the Medicaid rehabilitation option are also addressed in the letter. To view the entire letter, click here.
Medicare Update
New Issue Brief on Medicare Part D Low-Income Benchmark Available
The National Health Policy Forum has announced the availability of the following new issue brief: "A Closer Look at the Medicare Part D Low-Income Benchmark Premium: How Low Can It Go?" The issue brief explains how the benchmark premium is calculated, the factors that influence the benchmark premium level, and the implications of the benchmark amount for Medicare drug plans and beneficiaries as it changes from year to year. To access the issue brief, see the National Health Policy Forum at http://www.nhpf.org.
Update on the Campaign for Mental Health Reform
The Campaign for Mental Health Reform continues to actively work with national advocacy partners, including NACBHD, on critical issues. An update on the Campaign's most recent activities follows. Bill Emmet, Interim Director, spoke with NACBHD about the Campaign's recent and upcoming activities.
Policy retreat planned for the Fall. A two-part policy and communications retreat is planned for the Fall. The Campaign will work on an agenda for 2007 on October 12, and meet again on December 5, after the election, to determine the next course of action.
Work with the Senate Mental Health Caucus. The Campaign is working with the Senate Mental Health Caucus to conduct a briefing on September 20, which will be the caucus' first briefing since it was formed in March with the advocacy and assistance of the Campaign. Someone from the Campaign will serve as moderator for the briefing, which will focus on mental health as a part of overall health. Emmet reported that it is hoped that one or two Senate staff with experience with mental health issues or mental illness will participate in the panel. "The hope is to help other Senate staffers recognize that mental illness is part of the experience of people they work with every day." In addition, the Centers for Disease Control will present information on the prevalence of mental illness and related data.
Work on communications capacity. The Campaign has always been considered a vehicle for communicating policy in an effective way, and is beginning to look at its communications capacity in terms of effective messaging about policy, working on easily understood internal communications, and responding to and reaching out to the media.
SAMHSA Has New Administrator
NACBHD staff attended a meeting at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 31 to meet the new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator, Eric Broderick, DDS, MPH. According to an information release from SAMHSA, Dr. Broderick is committed to leading the $3.4 billion agency in its "vision of 'a life in the community for everyone,' as well as its mission of 'building resilience and facilitating recovery.'"
Dr. Broderick has been at HHS for over 33 years, in the positions of Acting Deputy Administrator and Senior Advisor for Tribal Health Policy. He has experience in budget formulation, program assessment, health policy development, and in managing public health programs that focus on mental health, substance abuse, and oral health. He has undergraduate and dental degrees from Indiana University, a General Practice Residency from the United States Public Health Service Hospital in Seattle, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma. He is an Assistant Surgeon General in the United States Public Health Service.
NACBHD Board Revising Mission Statement To Reflect Its Unique Role
The NACBHD Board met on August 4 in Chicago, in conjunction with the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference. The Board, according to Melissa Staats, "laid some ground work for the strategic planning session we will have in October. The board is revising the mission and vision statement for the Association to better articulate our unique role as the only representative of county governments and other local authorities in behavioral health and developmental disabilities. We want our mission statement to highlight the distinguishing feature--our government connection and affiliate status with NACo." The board is also reviewing ways to encourage more membership and greater participation. These changes are still in process, and will be sent to the membership for voting in the next few months.
NACBHD Members Present on Issues Critical to Counties at NACo Conference
NACBHD members Karen Scherra, Executive Director, Clermont, Ohio Mental Health and Recovery Board; Pat Fleming, Director, Salt Lake County, Utah Substance Abuse; and Leon Evans, Executive Director, The Center for Health Care Services, San Antonio, Texas, delivered presentations on areas of critical importance to counties at the NACo Annual Conference August 4-8 in Chicago. To access Sherra's presentation on methamphetamine and child welfare, click here. To access Fleming's presentation on the best systems for assessment, referral, and treatment of methamphetamine addiction, click here. To access Evans' presentation on jail diversion, click here.
Fentanyl Emerging as Critical Substance Abuse Problem in the East and Midwest
According to the weekly fax from the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland, fentanyl is being linked to drug overdoses and deaths in increasing numbers, especially in the East and Midwest. According to the July 10 issue of CESAR, "Illicitly manufactured fentanyl combined with heroin (and to a lesser extent, cocaine) is believed to be the cause of a recent outbreak of overdoses and deaths reported in a number of East Coast and Midwest cities." The fax lists the states affected as Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The fentanyl problem is not new - problems date back to the early 1990s - but the recent overdoses and deaths are of concern because they have occurred in so many states. The CESAR fax details some important information about fentanyl in a question and answer format, including: what fentanyl is, slang names for it, what it looks like, where it originates, typical users, its effects, and how it is detected in users. To view the fax, click here.
Margaret Hanna, Chair of the NACBHD Board and Executive Director, Bucks County (PA) Drug & Alcohol Commission, provides some perspective on the fentanyl problem in Pennsylvania (one of the states most impacted by fentanyl). In Bucks County, there is one confirmed death related to fentanyl at this point, but more are suspected. There has been a spike narcotic-related deaths since April, when fentanyl started to appear in the East Coast area, and the toxicology on other narcotic-related deaths is still pending.
Hanna reports that regional law enforcement agencies are sending out updates to local law enforcement about fentanyl. There has been some difficulty in locating the labs where fentanyl is produced, with the possibility that it is manufactured out of the country. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous, and there is some concern that in areas where advisories about its danger have been issued, the message may have had the opposite of the intended affect - users are attracted to what they perceive as a better high. Fentanyl is, in fact, so deadly that some users have been found dead with the partially-filled syringe still in their arm. According to a National Institute of Drug Abuse fact sheet on fentanyl, because fentanyl works by rapidly increasing the dopamine levels in the brain, it produces a state of euphoria and relaxation.
Fentanyl is a synthetic Schedule II prescription narcotic analgesic. It is usually used to treat severe pain or pain after surgery, and is similar to morphine, but more potent. It is not hard to make, and information about producing it is readily available on the Internet.
More information about fentanyl is available from the Office of National Drug Control Policy web site at www.ondcp.gov, including proceedings from the July 28 Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Demand Reduction Forum and a June 5 Fentanyl Situation Report. The July 28 Forum includes presentations on clandestinely produced fentanyl, regional perspectives, detecting overdose outbreaks, and prevention and treatment. The "Opening Remarks" detail the Bush Administration's response to the problem. In brief, the Administration's response is:
NACBHD Examines Federal Direct Support Professionals Report
The report "The Supply of Direct Support Professionals Serving Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Other Developmental Disabilities: Report to Congress" was recently released by the U.S. Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy. NACBHD Developmental Disability Committee members Lynn Ferrell (Chair), Executive Director, Polk County Health Services, Iowa, and Dan Ohler, Executive Director, Ohio MRDD Board's Association, reviewed the report and provided commentary.
Ferrell says, "The thing I find most interesting is that the impending shortage is exacerbated by the current turnover rate." He addressed the report from how the issues highlighted might impact those in his position, direct support professionals themselves, and consumers. At the executive director level, the issues may be slightly different in a county like Ferrell's, in which the county doesn't directly provide services. Instead, Ferrell says it is an issue of how he works with 30 different providers to provide direct services. He focuses on:
For those employed as direct support professionals (DSPs), the pay and benefits are often very poor, says Ferrell. If a DSP is in a position that does offer health insurance, the employee often cannot afford their share of the premium. He has seen successful supported employment programs in which the consumer makes more than the job coach helping the consumer learn the job. (Wages for DSPs can be $10 an hour and lower.) Ferrell also says it is not the money issue alone that is problematic; DSP staff need to be more empowered, have more autonomy, and given more respect, especially in light of what their job involves and what they are trying to accomplish. The burnout rate among DSPs is very high.
For consumers and families, Ferrell notes that a system may say that they do not have a wait list, but if a provider agency does not have enough staff to provide services, then for consumers, there is a wait list. The DSP shortage will potentially lead to more consumers living with families, many of whom are aging.In terms of how NACBHD might find the report useful, Ferrell views it as a possible opportunity to write a grant, building on what has been done in Ohio and Kansas. Dan Ohler, Executive Director, Ohio MRDD Board's Association, has been involved in running a provider certification grant to enhance the professional skills of DSPs through a voluntary certification program. The program has been underway for a little over a year, and there are no documented results of its impact yet. Although the jury is still out on this, Ohler believes enhancing the professionalism of DSPs is a positive move. Ohler reports that those he encounters in the field are not sure how useful the report is, and that he feels that more about the consumer's perspective should have been addressed in the report. He cites some important parts of the report:
Neither Ferrell nor Ohler are sure what will happen next with the report, but Ferrell notes that although it is a developmental disability report, he suspects that there are similar issues in mental health. And, Ohler captures both his and Ferrell's concern about the report by asking: "What do we do now? Is there recognition that this is a shared issue at the different levels of government - federal, state, and local? How do we coordinate solutions and answers to these problems?"
Copies of the report can be obtained from http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2006/DSPsupply.htm or hard copies can be mailed by contacting webmaster.DALTCP@hhs.gov.
Look for articles on other related, critical developmental disability issues in future newsletters, including aging caregivers, autism spectrum disorders, day services, and federal funding.
Save the Date: NACBHD Legislative Conference February 28 - March 1, 2007
NACBHD's annual Legislative Conference is scheduled for February 28 through March 1 at the Jurys Hotel in Washington, DC. Check the Conferences section of the NACBHD web site for registration and conference information updates.
New Initiative Will Fund School-Based Mental Health Services: Focus on Immigrant and Refugee Families
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring a Cross-Site Evaluation of the CMHS-funded National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) and its Network. The Network is composed of specialized centers across the nation that develop and use trauma-informed services, approaches, and systems to meet the special needs of children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic experiences such as abuse, neglect, domestic or community violence, disaster, terrorism, war or displacement, medical trauma, or grief/loss. The evaluation is being conducted by ORC Macro, in partnership with Walter R. MacDonald & Associates, and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Research Institute. The overarching goals of the evaluation are to describe the children and families being served, to assess the development and dissemination of effective treatments and services, to evaluate network collaboration, and to assess the Network's broader impact.
To address the broader impact of this federal initiative, members of NACBHD are being invited to participate in the National Impact Survey. This component of the cross-site evaluation contains questions about behavioral health agencies' familiarity with the NCTSI, whether agencies have collaborated with any of the NCTSI centers, and agencies' policies and practices that address the needs of children and adolescents affected by trauma. In total there will be four annual administrations of the National Impact Survey. During the first and third years of the evaluation, behavioral health agencies are being surveyed. Because children affected by trauma access services in many different sectors, in the second and fourth years of the evaluation, agencies in child welfare, juvenile justice, and education sectors will be surveyed, as well as first responders.
The first administration of the National Impact Survey is in progress right now. Invitations to participate were first sent in late June. Surveys will be received until the end of August. The survey was sent to over 2,000 behavioral health agencies this year. Responses have been received from approximately 600 agencies so far. Results will be disseminated as early as possible this coming Fall. For more information please contact:
Jeanne C. Rivard, Ph.D.
NASMHPD Research Institute
(703) 739-9333, ext. 146
jeanne.rivard@nri-inc.org
New National Professional Organization of People in Recovery
Margaret Hanna, Chair of the NACBHD Board and Executive Director, Bucks County (PA) Drug & Alcohol Commission, recently alerted NACHD to the development of a new national professional organization of people in recovery from psychiatric disabilities. The National Alliance of Peer Specialists will support the new profession of certified peer specialists. The press release below, forwarded by Hanna, highlights the impact of peer specialists on recovery, and discusses Medicaid funding of peer specialists. NACBHD will report on this emerging specialty and recovery in more detail in a future newsletter.
PHILADELPHIA (7/27/06) - People in recovery from psychiatric disabilities, researchers and others from around the country gathered on July 16-17, 2006, at the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel to create a new national trade association - the National Alliance of Peer Specialists - that will promote the emerging profession of certified peer specialist.
The participants - representing a "who's who" of national and regional mental health advocacy, service and research organizations - met to establish the organization in response to the growing influence of the new profession of peer specialist - that is, people in recovery from psychiatric disabilities who are employed to help their peers work toward their own recovery, often in places where credentialing requirements have traditionally excluded consumers from staff positions.
"Peer specialists offer hope because they are walking, talking examples of recovery," said Joseph A. Rogers, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP), which organized the meeting and which is fostering the peer specialist initiative throughout Pennsylvania. MHASP's Institute for Recovery and Community Integration teaches aspiring peer specialists the skills for providing peer support - such as how to help others with problem solving and goal setting - as well as serving as a model for recovery. Georgia was the first state to make peer specialist services Medicaid-reimbursable. Larry Fricks, who helped make this happen when he headed the Georgia Division of Mental Health Office of Consumer Relations, noted that the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is due to release a resource kit called "Building a Foundation for Recovery - How States Can Establish Medicaid-Funded Peer Support Services and a Trained Workforce of Peers." "Hopefully, a federally funded kit is another indicator that this peer specialist workforce is essential to system transformation and that peer specialists are ready for a recognized association with nationwide membership," said Fricks, who participated in the July 16-17 meeting and who now heads the Appalachian Consulting Group.
Other states with Medicaid-reimbursable peer specialist services include Arizona, Iowa, Michigan and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania expects its peer specialist services to be Medicaid-reimbursable beginning in October 2006.
"New York State was the first state to develop and hire peer specialists," said Peter Ashenden, executive director of the Mental Health Empowerment Project and another meeting participant. "We are proud of this fact but heartily support the work that has been developed in other states to much further expand upon this important initiative."
Among other participants in the meeting was a representative of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Additional representatives were from the National Mental Health Association and the NAMI STAR Center as well as several organizations run by people in recovery from psychiatric disabilities. Besides the Appalachian Consulting Group and the Mental Health Empowerment Project, the latter group included three federally funded consumer-run national technical assistance centers - CONTAC, the National Empowerment Center and the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse (an MHASP program) - as well as the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery and Project Return of Los Angeles. Also attending were researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, as well as representatives of META Services in Phoenix, and the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, which started a statewide organization dedicated to the profession of peer specialist in 1999.
Plans are under way to incorporate the Alliance, whose board would comprise at least 75 percent peer specialists.
"Trained peers are powerful change agents and good fiscal investments for transformation to a strength-based recovery system," Fricks said. For example, research shows that people who receive peer support services have fewer and shorter hospitalizations - which cuts costs - and an improved quality of life.
Montgomery County, Pa., is the first county in Pennsylvania to employ peer specialists. Nancy Wieman, the county's deputy administrator for mental health services, is a cheerleader for the program. "It's helped the entire system," she says. "These peer specialists give everybody - consumers and staff and providers - a personal vision of hope. When this is funded through Medicaid, we'll be able to have more consumers involved as part of the everyday work of an agency, and the culture of the agency will start to change. It will become a partnership where everyone will learn from one another, all the time. And that will enable us to grow and grow."
Materials From March 2006 Returning Veterans Initiative Conference Available Online
Materials from "The Road Home: National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and Their Families," held March 16-18, 2006 in Washington, DC, sponsored by SAMHSA and Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA), are now available online. The presentations can be downloaded at: http://presentations.samhsa.gov/va_conference/index.html. For detailed background on this topic from a NACBHD member, see the related article in the April newsletter.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ~ 1-800-273-TALK
Materials for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) are available from several sources. Members can access a PDF order form for materials that are currently available from the National Mental Health Information Center (www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov) by clicking here. Other materials, such as posters and booklets, will be available in the next few weeks.
Orders are for up to 50 units of each item, but if members need more, they can send an email request to lifeline@samhsa.hhs.gov, with a few lines about how they plan to use them.
All the materials that are in hardcopy are available on the Lifeline Web site to download, customize, and print locally: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/campaign/default.aspx. In addition to these materials, there are Lifeline logos, posters, and public service announcements. Members are encouraged to download these materials and distribute them throughout their community.
One-Stop IDEA Resource Now Available Online
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), has a new web site for resources related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations. Information available at the site includes:
The site, http://idea.ed.gov, is intended as a one-stop, "living" Web site, and it will be updated as resources and information become available.
"Blueprint" Report Outlines Recommendations to Combat Addiction
Join Together, a Boston University program to advance alcohol and drug policy, prevention, and treatment, recently released its "Blueprint for the States" report or "Policies to Improve the Ways States Organize and Deliver Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Treatment." While the Join Together press release notes that states spend 13% of their state budgets on the consequences of drug and alcohol addiction, few states have the authority to reduce costs through prevention and treatment. To address this problem, Join Together convened a bipartisan panel to hear testimony from national experts and to recommend changes in state systems. The "Blueprint" report represents the unanimous finding and proposals of the panel. Members are encouraged to distribute the report to colleagues. Multiple copies can be obtained by emailing publications@jointogether.org. If you would like Join Together staff to present a conference or meeting, contact Roberta Leis at Roberta@jointogether.org. To view a press release about the report, click here.
NACo Comments on TANF Regulations, Concern About Time Limits
On August 28, the National Association of Counties (NACo) sent the Office of Family Assistance of the Administration of Children and Families comments on the interim final TANF regulations, resulting from statutory changes implemented by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. In its introduction to the comments, NACo stated that it supports, "maximum state and county flexibility in implementing the reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant (TANF)". The comments addressed the areas of treatment of individuals with substance abuse and behavioral health problems, basic skills and English as a second language, supervision and reporting requirements, community services programs, and secondary school attendance. To view the NACo letter to the Administration of Children and Families, click here.
NACBHD members should note that while both NACo and NACBHD are pleased that HHS has included treatment of individuals with substance abuse and behavioral health problems as allowable activities under TANF, NACBHD is concerned about the time limit regulations. See the NACo letter for details.
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) also submitted comments to the Administration for Children and Families. Those comments focused on the definition of job training, the definition of job search/job readiness, work-eligible individuals, excused absences, calculating work participation hours, and reasonable cause exclusions. To view the CSAC comments, click here.
NACo Seed Grant Program
NACo urges NACBHD members to consider the following:
NACo is pleased to announce the availability of grant funds for member counties to develop and/or expand programs that divert non-violent mentally ill offenders from jails to community-based treatment. Efforts to begin or expand a program to address mentally ill offenders will serve to improve services to individuals with mental illness, save county dollars, and improve public safety. Funding for the seed grants comes from an Eli Lilly and Company education grant. The solicitation for proposals is underway and will be due by September 15, 2006. The guidance and application are now available on the NACo website, www.naco.org/techassistance in the Criminal Justice section.
For more information, contact Lesley Buchan at lbuchan@naco.org.
SAMHSA Announcements
From an August 4 SAMHSA press release:
SAMHSA Seeks Comments on ATTCs
SAMHSA is seeking input from stakeholders and interested parties on a number of issues regarding the structure, roles, and responsibilities of its Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Program. Through the ATTC program, SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) supports training and technology transfer activities to promote the adoption of evidence-based practices in substance use disorders treatment and more broadly, to promote workforce development in the addiction treatment field. Funded by CSAT since 1993, the ATTCs are a major component of SAMHSA/CSAT's workforce development efforts.
The ATTC Network operates as 14 individual Regional Centers serving the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin islands, and the Pacific Islands, and a national office. At the regional level, individual centers focus primarily on meeting the unique needs in their areas while also supporting national initiatives. The national office implements national initiatives and supports and promotes regional efforts.
SAMHSA will be issuing a Request for Applications (RFA) for a new round of competitive cooperative agreement awards under the ATTC program in federal fiscal year 2007. Stakeholders' comments will assist SAMHSA in developing the RFA. SAMHSA released a notice in the Federal Register of July 27 requesting comment from interested stakeholders in the substance use disorders treatment field.
The full text of the July 27 notice may be found at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-6500.htm. Responses should be made by September 11, 2006 to: Catherine D. Nugent, SAMHSA/CSAT/DSI, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 5-1079, Rockville, MD 20857 - phone: 240-276-1577; e-mail: cathy.nugent@samhsa.hhs.gov.NACBHD provided comments. Comments may be found at: attc_letter.pdf.
From an August 15 SAMHSA press release:
Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People with Stimulant Use Disorders Outlined in New SAMHSA Publication Package
A structured approach for treating adults who abuse or are dependent on methamphetamine or cocaine is outlined in the new publications package Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People with Stimulant Use Disorders (IOP) released by SAMHSA.
The Matrix IOP Model is a comprehensive package that provides substance abuse treatment professionals with a yearlong intensive outpatient model for clients and their families: 16 weeks of structured programming and 36 weeks of continuing care. Clients receive information, assistance in structuring a substance-free lifestyle, and support to achieve and maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol. The program specifically focuses on clients who are dependent on methamphetamine and cocaine and their families.
The Matrix IOP package includes:
The Matrix IOP model familiarizes clients with 12-step programs and other support groups, teaches clients time management and scheduling skills and entails conducting regular drug and breath-alcohol testing. The approach followed in the treatment package was developed by the Matrix Institute in Los Angeles and adapted by SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The treatment approach presented in this publication is evidence-based and was tested and evaluated during the SAMHSA/CSAT-sponsored Methamphetamine Treatment Project.
Copies of the publication package are available free of charge from SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 800-729-6686 or electronically through www.ncadi.samhsa.gov.
From an August 8 SAMHSA press release:
SAMHSA to Partner with Suicide Prevention Action Network to Promote Public/Private Partnership to Curb Suicide
Assistant Surgeon General Eric Broderick, DDS, MPH, acting as administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), today announced the award of a contract to the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA), a national suicide prevention organization, to join with SAMHSA to establish and administer the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
The Action Alliance, a public-private partnership, is being established to move the goals and objectives of the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) from paper to practice. It will reframe the goals and objectives as measurable actions to be implemented by government, industry, general and specialty health care sectors, academia, communities, and consumers and families.
"SAMHSA's contract and collaboration with SPAN USA to convene and provide the infrastructure for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention mark a critical milestone in our efforts to prevent suicide," Dr. Broderick said. "The potential power of the Action Alliance is to effect change in workplaces and schools, families and communities to stop the clock that claims a person to suicide every 17 minutes. Our collaboration with SPAN USA will help focus the reach, the motivation and the energy of the Action Alliance to achieve each of the 11 goals and 68 objectives of the National Strategy."
The creation of this Action Alliance was one of the key recommendations of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2003) and the Federal Mental Health Action Agenda (2005), a recommendation echoed by Congress in 2005.
"Creating an Action Alliance is a significant objective of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention," said SPAN USA Executive Director Jerry Reed. "SPAN USA is pleased to work with SAMHSA on this important initiative to engage key stakeholders from the business, public, private and philanthropic sectors to work together to address suicide in our nation and to advance effective solutions."
With its establishment, and under the leadership of SAMHSA and the collaboration of SPAN USA, the Action Alliance will build the web of alliances, knowledge, policies and programs needed in communities nationwide to halt the preventable tragedy of suicide. SPAN USA will work with SAMSHA first to identify 25-30 Action Alliance members, representing individuals of all ages, ethnicities and races, spanning all walks of life and both the public and private sectors.
For more information about SAMHSA's work to prevent suicide, go to the SAMHSA website, www.spanusa.org.
The Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA) was created to raise awareness, build political will, and call for action with regard to creating, advancing, implementing and evaluating a national strategy to address suicide in our nation. It is dedicated to leveraging grassroots support among suicide survivors (those who have lost a loved one to suicide) and others to advance public policies that help prevent suicide. More information about SPAN USA is available online at www.spanusa.org.
From a July 26 SAMHSA press release:
SAMHSA News Highlights Hurricane Katrina Lessons, Preparedness Efforts
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina can help current national disaster preparedness efforts for mental health and substance abuse needs, according to the July/August 2006 issue of SAMHSA News, the newsletter of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This latest issue describes research findings, resources, and ongoing recovery efforts for survivors, first responders, State planning officials, service providers, children, and school personnel presented at a recent SAMHSA-funded conference in New Orleans.
Speakers said that although the majority of people exposed to disaster-related trauma are emotionally resilient, many still experience anger, fear, sleep problems, increased alcohol or tobacco use, and social isolation and some may develop long-term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Recent studies on the most commonly used intervention, psychological debriefing -- which encourages the disclosure of emotions and thoughts -- have found no evidence that it provides benefits and in fact, have shown that it may even cause some harm. Another intervention, psychological first aid, -- which focuses on establishing a sense of security, connecting the individual to restorative resources, and reducing stress -- has recently shown greater promise in both short-term and long-term treatments.
Researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center presented findings from their work with 4,000 children from Louisiana in the year since the 2005 Gulf state hurricanes. Screening results showed approximately one-third of the children had symptoms of PTSD and one-third had depressive symptoms.
State planning officials discussed ways to improve "all-hazards" planning that would strengthen collaborative efforts across States, such as establishing a cross-state repository of qualified behavioral health service providers for deployment.
Other newsletter articles provide information on publications detailing practices for reducing seclusion and restraint among people with mental illnesses and detoxification procedures for substance abuse counselors and clinicians treating clients who are dependent on substances of abuse.
The July/August 2006 issue is available online at http://www.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA_News. SAMHSA News is published bimonthly in both hardcopy and electronic format. To receive a free subscription, telephone 1 (888) 577-8977 (toll-free) or (240) 221-4001 in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
