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June 12, 2014

Advancing Public Policies for People with Mental Illness, Chemical Dependency or Developmental Disabilities   

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Betsy Gorman, Editor
[email protected]



Oneida County: Number of heroin users at jail a sign of growing epidemic

Cuomo, in Rockland, announces new efforts to fight heroin scourge (Video)

 

Suffolk County: Locals Undergo NARCAN Training 

  

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Bust Of Major Drug Ring Allegedly Trafficking In Heroin, Cocaine And Prescription Pills

 

Editorial: Serious bills could slow the heroin epidemic  

 

Are Children Overmedicated?

Hospitals Put Pharmacists In The ER To Cut Medication Errors

NY Assembly hears conflicting views on addiction coverage


Video: A School Tackles Cyberbullying 

At the Facing History School in New York City, students and school officials discuss tips for dealing with cyberbullying.

 

University of Rochester: Air Pollution Linked to Autism, Schizophrenia, Study Finds

 

Veterans to rally for mental health help in Albany

NYS bill would help veterans accused of crimes

 

Stabbing Case Highlights Flawed System to Screen Inmates Before Release

 

Fundraiser Held To Save West Seneca's Children's Psych Center   
The SAMHSA Recovery Month Toolkit is Here!

Get a jumpstart on your September 2014 event planning with the newly launched Recovery Month Toolkit. This year's toolkit, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of Recovery Month, highlights the theme "Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out."
Webinars & Resources: 

 

SAMHSA:    

Crisis Services: Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Funding Strategies  here  

 

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Pregnant and Parenting Women: To address substance use disorders.  Access the webinar materials here.  

 

Concluding Mental Health Awareness Month:    

To increase awareness and help educate Americans about mental health, SAMHSA has released a series of blogs that discuss important issues for the behavioral health community and the nation. Click on The Power of Prevention

SAMHSA: Crisis Response Systems

Wednesday, June 18,
2:00-3:30pm
Innovative State and Local Crisis Response Systems

Tuesday, July 1,
2:00-3:30pm

Innovative State and Local Crisis Response Systems
 
Tuesday July 15, 2:00-3:30pm
Innovative State and Local Crisis Response Systems


A Review of Successful but Stressful Integration of Behavioral and Primary Care
June 17 at Noon here

CLMHD Data Dashboard:
Extracting CPS Reports Dialogue

June 20th 12-12:30 here 

How Evolving Technologies Can Enhance Outcomes In Your Addiction & Recovery Support Programs
June 24 @ 2PM here

  

SAMHSA Webinar: Continuing Medical Education

Transitioning to DSM-5 and ICD-10-CM  

July 8th 3-4:40 here 


 

JUNE:

OMH Housing Meeting

June 18th

10:00-11:00

44 Holland Avenue Albany 

 

Fiscal Officers Workgroup

June 24th

9:00-10:00 GTM Call in    

 

JULY:

Children & Families Comm.

July 8th

11:30-1:00  GTM Call in 

 

Officers and Chairs 
Conference Call

July 9th

8:00-9:00 Call in   

 

Mental Hygiene Planning

July 10th

11:00-2:00/41 State Street 

 

CLMHD/OMH/DOH
Health Home Call 

July 17th

11:00-12:00

TBD

 

Dev. Disabilites Comm

July 21st

11:00-12:00  GTM Call in  

 

CLMHD Directors' Meeting

July 22nd

10:30-Noon GTM Call in

Executive Committee

12:30-2:00 GTM Call in 

 

Fiscal Officers Workgroup

July 29th

9:00-10:00 GTM Call in

Contact CLMHD for all call in information, 518.462.9422

SAVE THE DATE:
CLMHD Fall Full Membership 
Meeting/September 22-23, 2014 
Lake Placid Crowne Plaza
CLMHD Members:
Register Here
Class action says United Healthcare violated mental health and addiction law

United Healthcare is being sued by customers who allege it denied claims for mental health and substance abuse-related health benefits and violated the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

 

United Healthcare and United Behavioral Health "systematically and improperly" denied mental health and substance abuse-related insurance benefit claims based on internal policies and practices that violated health insurance plans and the federal parity act, it is alleged.  Read more.

Anderson Cooper takes part in an experiment to help understand how people live with mental illness. Watch the Video 

Anderson wore headphones that simulate hearing voices while trying to do everything from puzzles to simply interacting with people in the street.
 

Mental illness often makes headlines after tragedies like last week's deadly shooting at Seattle Pacific University. A number of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, can cause auditory hallucinations. It's important to know that only a tiny number of people who hear voices engage in violence of any kind. Anderson took part in an experiment to help people understand how others live with mental illness experience everyday. Anderson wore headphones that simulate hearing voices while trying to do everything from puzzles to simply interacting with people in the street.

  

Clinical psychologist Pat Deegan designed the experiment. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager.

  

Cuomo Adds 100 Officers to Units Fighting Heroin

 
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is nearly doubling the number of investigators assigned to narcotics teams around New York to fight the growing drug issue.

The announcement comes as the resurgent abuse of heroin has been discussed intensively in Albany. For weeks, lawmakers have been meeting treatment providers, insurance companies and families who have lost relatives to overdoses to discuss heroin addiction and the opioid pill abuse that serves as a frequent gateway to heroin.  Read more.

The Surprising Driver of NYC's Long Life Expectancy

 

A report published earlier this year in the journal Population and Development Review shows that average life expectancy in New York City increased dramatically in New York City between 1990 and 2010.

During that 20-year stretch, life expectancy for female New Yorkers rose by nearly 4 years, and life expectancy for males increased by 6 years. Much of this increase is attributable to reductions in deaths related to HIV/AIDS, homicide, drugs, and alcohol.  Effective public policies and public health interventions have been critical to these improvements. 
Read more.
Governor Cuomo Announces Funding Increase to Support Special Education Providers

 

Schools working with children with special needs will receive 3.8 percent increase in reimbursement rates.
 
Schools benefitting from this increase serve students with diverse and complex needs who have not been able to succeed in traditional education settings. Students at these schools face circumstances such as trauma, mental health issues, substance abuse, emotional or physical disabilities, or involvement with the juvenile justice, social service or child welfare system. Read more.  
Teens with Addiction Have Few Recovery Programs
Substance abuse is traumatic for parents, who have trouble accessing treatment for their children.

Deborah Scott's 13-year-old daughter had been receiving hospital treatment for heroin addiction for 20 days when a representative from her insurance company called to say they would no longer cover the treatment.

 

Scott's daughter had eight more days to go, and she was nowhere near ready to return home, her doctors said. Scott gathered medical practitioners on the phone and tried to dispute the claim. It was no use. Her daughter needed to be picked up from the hospital right away. 

Read more. 

Niagara governments mull joint health coverage 

 

LOCKPORT - Most of Niagara County's 21 local governments were represented Tuesday at a meeting to hear about the possibility of joining into a single health insurance consortium in hopes of eventually saving money. Read more.  

 

CMS Announces Opportunity to Apply for Navigator Grants in Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces

Navigator" program will continue to help consumers understand health coverage options as they enroll in coverage

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the availability of funding, totaling $60 million, to support Navigators in Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces in 2014-2015. Navigators provide unbiased information to consumers about health insurance, the Health Insurance Marketplace, qualified health plans, and public programs including Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. 
Read more.
The Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors advances public policies and awareness for people with mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities.  We are a statewide membership organization that consists of the Commissioner/ Director of each of the state's 57 county mental hygiene departments and the mental hygiene department of the City of New York.

Affiliated