| Next Membership Meeting | |
Our next meeting will be:
Monday,
May 10, 2010
8:30 a.m.
MHMR Crisis Services:
An Update
The Women's Center
1723 Hemphill
Fort Worth, Texas 76110
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| Upcoming Events of Interest | |
Mike Moncrief Believing in Youth Awards Dinner April 29, 2010
6 p.m. - VIP Reception
7 p.m. - Dinner
The Fort Worth Club
306 W. 7th Street
Fort Worth, Texas
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Children's Mental Health Awareness Day | |
Hand in Hand celebrates "Take Time to Play Day"
 National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day will be celebrated by systems of care across the country on May 6. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will hold an event in Washington, DC, that day. Click here to read about some of the national activities.
In North Texas, Hand in Hand will celebrate the day by initiating a "Take Time to Play" campaign on May 6. The focus will be on providing parents of young children with information about how important it is for them to play with their infants and preschoolers. Several area communities are issuing proclamations recognizing Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, and Hand in Hand is working to place articles in community newspapers. In addition, Hand in Hand is developing flyers for parents that offer tips on ways they can play with their children. Camp Fire is contacting child care centers to offer the flyers.
If you or your agency is celebrating Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, please let Hand in Hand know by emailing kay.barkin@mhmrtc.org. |
| Cultural Competence Training | | | New Training Team to present supervised session
 The six new trainers in the California Basic Multicultural Competency Scale (CBMCS) are leading their first session April 20-24. Dr. Gloria Morrow is supervising the training in her final planned visit to Fort Worth.
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| DataLink Adds Provider Overviews | | Agency supervisors enter information
 DataLink has added a "Provider Overview Page" that allows agencies to post a description of services, locations, hours of operation, client eligibility, languages spoken and payment options. Users will be able to select their need, and providers that can fulfill that need will pop up in a separate window. This new feature will help those who are referring clients determine the best resource. For more information about DataLink, contact twalker@solomonedwards.com.
More about DataLink |
| Advocacy Committee Conducts Surveys | | | Preparations underway for legislative session
 The Mental Health Connection Advocacy Committee has recently conducted several surveys in preparation for the 2011 Texas State legislative session. Among those surveys was one to all members asking them to identify legislative priorities. The top five concerns were:
- Access to a full continuum of mental health and substance abuse services (71%)
- Maintenance of local, state and federal funding for services (69%)
- No cuts to Medicaid funding (25%)
- Ensure local decision making is protected (23%)
- Relief from excessive regulatory requirements and unfunded mandates (21%)
The Advocacy Committee will be developing strategies to address the key priorities. In addition, members will be visiting local legislators over the summer to present Mental Health Connection's progress and concerns.
Members of the Advocacy Committee will also travel to Washington, DC, in May.
If you are interested in participating in any of these visits, please contact Dr. Jim McDermott, chair of the Advocacy Committee, at james.mcdermott@mhmrtc.org. |
| Journal Clubs Begin Work | | Three groups start to review the research
 Three Journal Clubs began their work last month following an orientation meeting at The Women's Center. The groups will be reviewing the research for best practices in mental health care for three age groups: -
Birth to age 6
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7-17
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18 and older
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| Hand in Hand Consults with Llano Estacado | | Staff members share expertise  Hand in Hand staff members recently traveled to Plainview to share ideas and consult with the Llano Estacado Alliance for Families, a system of care site in West Texas. Hand in Hand consultants were Stephanie Norton, clinical director (seated left); Camille Patterson, lead evaluator (second row, far left); and Sean Allen, project director (third row, third from left). |
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Mental Health Connection is a collaboration of public and private agencies, as well as individuals who need mental health care services and their caregivers. The organization works to revolutionize the mental health delivery system, with a vision of creating No Wrong Door to the Right Mental Health Resources.
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