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October 15, 2014

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

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Betsy Gorman, Editor
[email protected]
Webinars & Resources:

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is hosting an art show, titled Picture:Recovery, viewable throughout the month of October on the South Concourse of the Empire State Plaza in Albany and online here.

MHA: The Role of Community Inclusion in Improving Behavioral Health Care  October 20th 3-4 here  
 

CHCS:Demonstrations to Improve Care for Dually Eligible Beneficiaries: State Perspectives on Year 1 

October 30th 2:30-4 here    

 

OMH and the Community Technical Assistance Center of New York Webinar Series:

Reimagining Children's Mental Health Services

Part I: What's on the Horizon?

November 7th 1:30-3 here 


  

OCTOBER:
CLMHD Children & Families Conference-Albany Hilton
October 8th 9:00-4:00

Children & Families Committee
October 14th 11:30-1:00
Go To Meeting Call-In

Housing Update w/OMH
October 22nd 10:00-11:00
44 Holland Avenue Albany

CLMHD Committee Day
Monday October 27th
Holiday Inn Wolf Road Albany
10:00-4:00 PM

Fiscal Officers Workgroup
October 28th 9:00-10:00
Go To Meeting Call-In
 
Contact CLMHD for all call in information, 518.462.9422

SAVE THE DATE:
CLMHD Mentoring Workshop
Friday November 7th
Holiday Inn Western Ave.
Albany, NY
Notice of Public Hearing:  
OASAS-OMH Joint 5.07 Plan


OASAS Statewide Comprehensive Plan 2014-2018

OMH Statewide Comprehensive Plan 2014-2018

(Scott LaVigne/Seneca will be presenting comments at the Rochester event) 

 
On October 2nd, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, OASAS and OMH are conducting a joint public hearing on their statewide comprehensive plans. Both agencies will receive input for consideration in the development of their respective statewide comprehensive plans and ongoing planning initiatives.

The Hearing is hosted by OASAS and OMH, and via videoconference among nine locations: Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Ogdensburg, Manhattan, Staten Island, and West Brentwood.


Registration for any of the public hearing sites listed above is available at: www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/planning/507.  

 

OASAS and OMH request that all input be received in writing.   

 

Space is limited at some hearing sites. You must register in advance to attend the hearing. Registrations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to these capacity constraints, organizations are respectfully asked to send one individual per organization to attend the hearing
 
CMS kicks off effort to help Marketplace enrollees stay covered

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants current Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees to renew their coverage for 2015 at the start of Open Enrollment on November 15, update their 2015 application, and compare their options to make sure they enroll in the plan that best meets their budget and health needs for next year.  

 

This week, consumers will begin to receive notices from the Federally-facilitated Marketplace in the mail and in their HealthCare.gov accounts, explaining how they can renew their coverage during Open Enrollment.  Learn more here.  

 

 

New Affordable Care Act initiative to support care coordination nationwide

 

CMS has announced the availability of a new initiative for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, ACOs encourage quality improvement and care coordination through the use of health information technology, helping to move our health care system to one that values quality over quantity and preventing illness over treating people after they get sick.  

 

The new ACO Investment Model is designed to bring these efforts to better coordinate care to rural and underserved areas by providing up to $114 million in upfront investments to up to 75 ACOs across the country.  Learn more here.   

Get the fact sheet here

 

 

Related:  SAMHSA Blog Update

From Coverage to Care: SAMHSA and CMS Partner to help you make the most of your healthcare insurance

 

DSRIP names new Director in the Office of Health Insurance Programs

 

Peggy Chan has accepted the position of DSRIP Director in the Office of Health Insurance Programs, Department of Health.  She will be joining our team on October 20, 2014. 

 

Peggy previously worked for the New York Presbyterian Hospital as the Director of the Office of Care Management, Community Health.  She has over 25 years of experience in the health care field and an extensive background in health plan operations and care management.  

SAMHSA Announces FY 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan "Leading Change 2.0: Advancing the Behavioral Health of the Nation"


The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced its new strategic plan outlining how SAMHSA will continue to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders,  promote emotional health and wellness, address prevention of substance use disorders and mental illness, increase access to effective treatment and support recovery.

 

Over the next four years SAMHSA will be expanding its focus on health systems integration to address the treatment needs of persons with mental illness, serious mental illness, and substance use disorders.  SAMHSA is also committed to working with the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) and other professional associations to address training, data, and financing issues for behavioral health professions.  Access the Strategic Plan here.    

 

The New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) has released its 2013 Annual Report, detailing New York's record Medicaid enforcement efforts in 2013.   

 

 Results include:  

  • More than $2 billion in avoided costs to the Medicaid program, thanks to OMIG program initiatives and preventive measures
  • Record recoveries of $879 million in Medicaid overbillings in 2013 and more than $1.73 billion over the past three years
  • More than $226 million in identified Medicaid overbillings through audit activities 

To access the full report, click here.

Medicaid ADHD Treatment Under Scrutiny

 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, affects one in seven school-age children in the U.S., and from 2003 to 2011 the number of children diagnosed with the condition rose by more than 40 percent.

 

Doctors have considerable leeway in deciding the best course of treatment for a child with the condition, no matter who is paying the bill. But children covered by Medicaid, the joint federal-state health-care program for the poor, are at least 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder.  Read more here.
Groundbreaking Suicide Study

 


A groundbreaking study will help researchers learn more about ways to treat people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Nearly 20,000 patients will be able to participate in a trial that draws from other successful interventions for depression and suicide. One of the treatments being tested was developed with the help of other patients.   Read more here
New Report Reveals Nation Still Not Fully Equipped to Support Women Veterans 

 

While the federal government has raced to establish programs to serve combat veterans, the current system that awaits women transitioning from military service is a disjointed patchwork of programs marked by serious gaps in health care, housing, other community support services, employment and efforts to eradicate sexual assault, according to a landmark report released today by DAV (Disabled American Veterans).   

 

Women Veterans: The Long Journey Home presents the most comprehensive assessment conducted to date of the policies and programs at the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense (DoD), Labor (DoL), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for women veterans returning home. The report reveals that the number of women serve in the military is increasing dramatically, while they are being put at risk by a services and support system designed for men. Read the full press release.

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