Wednesday, November 12, 2014  

11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (MT) 

SAMHSA Listening Session on Improving Community Mental Health

Register today to attend an upcoming listening session about criteria development for the "Demonstration Program To Improve Community Mental Health Services" (Section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014).  This Listening Session is for the creation of community mental health services of the future that will be codified in law, and the creation of national standards for community mental health.

Section 223 seeks to create certified community behavioral health clinics. The clinics will focus on improving outcomes by increasing access to community-based behavioral health care, expanding the availability and array of services, and improving the quality of care delivered to people with mental and/or substance use disorders.

It's critically important to have the peer/lived experience voice to provide input. We need people to speak up and promote trauma-informed approaches and peer support into the development and design of these national standards.

This Listening Session is open to the public and the entire day's proceedings will be webcast, recorded, and made publicly available. During the listening session, participants are invited to comment on any of the designated topics (including: quality and other reporting; scope of services; staffing; accessibility and availability of services; care coordination; organizational authority).

"On Monday September 29, 2014, President Obama signed the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Public Law 113-183). Voice for Adoption thanks members of Congress for passing this important bill. We wish to extend a special thanks to the champions of this bipartisan legislation, Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA), Ranking Member Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT).

The bill reauthorized the federal Adoption Incentives Program and extend one-year of funding for the Family Connections Grants (funding to facilitate improved family connectedness; these grants were first authorized under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (public law 110-351). The new law also includes important provisions to protect children at risk of sex trafficking.

The following provisions are related to adoption:

• The bill reauthorizes the Adoption Incentives Program for 3 years through FY2016.
• The bill phases-in incentives that are based on rate increases, provides an incentive for guardianships for the first time, as well as provides a higher incentive for older youth adoptions.
• The bill extends the Family Connections Grants for one year.
• The bill strengthens the 2008 Fostering Connections Act provision requiring states to track and reinvest savings as a result of the federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance de-link. The bill requires HHS to assist states with calculating these savings and requires annual reporting.
• Additionally, the bill requires that not less than 30 percent of these savings be spent on post-adoption/post-guardianship services, and services to sustain permanent outcomes.
• The bill requires states to track data on disrupted and dissolved adoptions and guardianships.
• The bill eliminates "APPLA" - Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement - as a permanency goal for youth under age 16."

"...students with emotional disabilities are three times more likely to be arrested before leaving high school than the general population."

If your child is receiving special education services because of an emotional disability, you should read this article from Disability Scoop. Click here to read the article.

Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults, a report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, explores the needs and challenges of young adults, especially at-risk youth like those in foster care and those with mental health disorders, and discussed the programs with the greatest potential to help these youth become healthy, productive citizens. Click here to go to a link to read the report for free.

Support Groups

Sometimes our children provide us with challenges that we're just not quite ready to handle.  And sometimes support groups can help us find the answers we need, or at least make us feel okay about the unique challenges we're facing.  Here are some support groups that might be helpful.

Teen & Tween Adoption Support for Parents

Potluck

2nd & 4th Monday of each month

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Resilience Center

1298 Peoria St

Aurora, CO 80011

Click here for more info.

Young Adult Mental Illness Support Group

For ages 18-28

1st & 3rd Thursday of every month

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

1st week Classroom F-G

3rd week Classroom E

St Anthony Hospital

11600 W 2nd Dr

Lakewood, CO 80228

Contact Courtney at 720-369-2629 for more information.  

Welcome Child Adoption/Foster Care Support Group

Second Sunday of the month (May 11 & June 8)

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Timberline Church, Room 214

2908 S. Timberline Road

Fort Collins, CO  80525

For more information contact Michele Sanner by email at mlsanner@gmail.com or by phone at (970) 481-5749.

Xpress Yourself Art & Play Therapy  

Support groups for internationally adopted children & adolescents

CCAI

6920 S. Holly Circle

Centennial, CO 80112

Call 303-850-9998, ext 22

Called to Adopt Support Group

4th Saturday of the month, 6:00 p.m.,
Christ Community Church, Greeley, CO

Click here for more info.

 Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support Group

Facilitators:  Sarah Ahn and Jenny Burnsed, LPC

Last Monday of every month 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Bixby School,  3750 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder

Therapeutic Post-Adoption Support Group

2nd Thursday of the month, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Windsor Timberline Church

360 E Crossroads Blvd, Windsor, CO

Click here for more information.

Aurora Mental Health

Adoption Support Group

2nd & 4th Mondays of the month

Aurora Mental Health

11059 E Bethany Drive, Aurora, CO 80014

Click here for more information.

The Be The Change Challenge

(For parents of challenging children)

2nd Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

ACL Boulder, 5744 North 71st Street, Longmont, Colorado 80503

Call 630-841-0458

Click here for more info.

3rd Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. -  8:00 p.m.

Contact:  KimNichelle Rivera 303-226-5536

EMPOWER Littleton/Aurora/Englewood

1st & 3rd Thursday, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network

155 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112

Contact Carol Villa at 303-790-1055 for more information or email [email protected]

Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.

ADMHN Building, 3rd floor

5500 S. Sycamore St, Littleton, CO  80120

Contact:  Carol 

303-790-1055

NAMI Family Support Group Teleconference

2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month

Contact:  [email protected] 

Louisville Parent Support Group

Art Underground

 901 Front Street, Louisville, CO 80027

$25 per session; reservations required.  

Adult Adoptee Group

Thursdays starting November 6, 2014

6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

7950 S Lincoln St, Ste 111-E, Littleton, CO 80122