SAMHSA's "KnowBullying" app helps parents and others prevent bullying
KnowBullying, a free smartphone app, provides parents, caretakers, educators, and others with information and communication support to help prevent bullying and build resilience in children.
NEW TOOLS TARGET YOUTH MARIJUANA USE
This set of tools is designed to help practitioners identify which factors are associated with youth marijuana use in their communities, and to assist them in selecting appropriate strategies and interventions. It includes detailed descriptions of interventions that have been shown to prevent or reduce marijuana use among youth, along with a complete bibliography of the literature contained in the suite.
Training and Techinical Assistance Tools
BLOG POST: ROBIN WILLIAMS: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT DEPRESSION
Administration for Community Living administration Kathy Greenlee and SAMHSA administrator Pamela S. Hyde reflect on Robin Williams' death and the need to raise awareness about depression.
NEW SECTION ON AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND HEALTHCARE COVERAGE
The SAMHSA ADS Center launched a new section of its website that highlights valuable resources pertaining to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its implementation. Many organizations have produced materials to supplement the information available on the Federal Marketplace website, HealthCare.gov. This new online resource provides descriptions and summaries of the ACA and information about finding help in applying, subsidies, and information needed to enroll, and parity and the process of health service integration and its implementation.
UPDATES FROM AHRQ
THERAPIES FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS UPDATE
New research suggests that behavior-focused therapies have positive results for some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to an updated Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) research review. The update reports that the quality of research studies on these therapies has improved since AHRQ's 2011 review of studies on ASD, and that many young children who receive early intervention with intensive, long-term applied behavior analysis types of approaches showed improvements in cognitive and language skills, compared with children receiving other interventions. It indicated that the effects of the applied behavior analysis-based interventions on ASD symptoms related to communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors are less clear. Therapies focusing on social skills showed some positive effects on social behaviors for older children in small studies.
USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE CARE
The latest issue of AHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange focuses on using mobile technology to enhance care. It describes three initiatives that used mobile technology in various ways to improve care management.
CONTINUING EDUCATION VIDEO: CHILDREN EXPOSED TO TRAUMA AND INTERVENTIONS FOR MALTREATMENT
According to a new continuing education video by AHRQ, an urgent need currently exists to augment the evidence base on interventions addressing child maltreatment. Several interventions show promise in improving child well-being and child welfare outcomes; however, the video, based on a 2013 comparative effectiveness review Child Exposure to Trauma: Comparative Effectiveness of Interventions Addressing Maltreatment, explores major research gaps and highlights the need for collaborative clinical trials supported by a multisite research network.
DCOE BLOG POSTS
FIVE CLINICAL TOOLS HELP DIAGNOSE, TREAT PTSD
Healthcare providers have much to consider when diagnosing and treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in service members and Veterans. To assist them, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), in collaboration with Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA, developed five provider and patient PTSD clinical support tools. The DCoE blog post describes these resources that offer quick tips, insights, and recommendations on proper screening, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and patient and family education.
LEARN COPING SKILLS TO HELP MOVE FORWARD
Moving Forward is a website that offers education and life coaching for military members. It was developed by the DoD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology and VA as part of a joint initiative to provide collaborative and integrated mental health services to service members and Veterans. This DCoE blog post describes the Moving Forward training that helps individuals better understand their own problem-solving abilities and teaches new skills to overcome obstacles in life.
SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ADDITIONAL WEBINARS
Twitter Chat on Chronic Pain and Complementary Health Approaches
September 16, 2014, 2:00 PM ET
This National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Twitter chat will focus on chronic pain and complementary health approaches. Follow the conversation at #nccamchat.
Virtual Training:Psychological Health and Resilience Summit
September 17-19, 2014
DCoE will host the Psychological Health and Resilience Summit for multidisciplinary military healthcare providers and line leaders. Formerly called the Warrior Resilience Conference, this cross-service training will focus on prevention and treatment of psychological health concerns affecting service members and their families, and current and evolving best practices to enhance resilience and readiness. The virtual learning environment of the summit will feature presentations, an exhibit hall, networking opportunities, resource downloads, and facilitated chat sessions.
National Suicide Prevention Week
September 8-14, 2014
The theme for this year's suicide prevention week is Suicide Prevention: One World Connected. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has compiled materials and information to help raise awareness and support the worldwide effort to end suicide. In addition, from September 8-13, SAMHSA will release a new podcast each day related to a topic in suicide prevention. The podcasts will be available from this SPRC webpage.
Webinar: The Way Forward - Integrating the Voice of Suicide Attempt Survivors into the Suicide Prevention Discussion
September 9, 2014, 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
This SAMHSA webinar will highlight the importance of incorporating the voice of suicide attempt survivors in suicide prevention activities. Aimed at the broader suicide prevention community, this webinar will provide a brief overview of the Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Suicide Attempt Survivor Task Force document, The Way Forward, Pathways to Hope, Recovery and Wellness with Insights from Lived Expertise. The overview will specifically highlight the paper's Core Values for Supporting Suicide Attempt Survivors with an emphasis on how these values can be supported in broader settings (policies, programs, practices).
