SPOTLIGHT
Taking Stock of COVID-Fueled Trends That Are Shaping Behavioral Healthcare
Ron Manderscheid, Executive Director, NACBHDD and NARMH and NRI Board Member writes about where behavioral healthcare currently stands on our COVID-19 response, as well as how the field is likely to change during the next several months. Read more.
|
|
NRI Presents at NASMHPD Annual 2020 Commissioners Meeting
At the end of July, NRI staff presented at this year's NASMHPD Annual Meeting.
Kristin Neylon, Senior Project Associate presented with NRI Board Member, Dr. Ron Mandersheid about the delivery of crisis services in rural and frontier areas of the U.S. She also presented the opportunities afforded by technology in facilitating the delivery of these services.
Robert Shaw, Senior Project Associate presented about how the funding of mental health crisis services has relied on state general funds and Medicaid despite the passage of two parity acts. States have organized the provision of crisis services differently, including how services are funded but all states have it within their power to bill private insurance for crisis service. Doing so will take the cooperating and hard work and possibly the reorganization of their crisis service system.
|
|
|
|
|
STATE AND FEDERAL
California Launches $2 Million Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Campaign
California has launched a comprehensive campaign to ensure people receive the support they need before reaching a state of crisis that could lead to suicidal ideation. Learn more.
Montana Announces Behavioral Provider Relief Grants
Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Sheila Hogan announced $33 million in new grant funding created in response to the economic challenges faced by the hundreds of Montana behavioral health providers impacted by COVID-19. Read more.
As COVID-19 Crisis Continues, Suicide Risk for Veterans Likely to Grow
A report published recently by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute projects that for every 5 percent increase in the unemployment rate, our country will lose an additional 550 veterans to suicide annually. Read more.
Medicaid Data Can Be Used To Identify Instances of Potential Child Abuse or Neglect
Medicaid claims data includes sufficient information that can be used to identify incidents of potential child abuse or neglect, according to an audit by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Read more.
Association of State-Level Opioid-Reduction Policies With Pediatric Opioid Poisoning
Changes in state policies to monitor prescription opioid use more closely resulted in fewer pediatric opioid poisonings among children and youth younger than 20 years. Read more.
Universal COVID-19 Testing In Long-Term Care Facilities Found 40% Positivity Rate
Universal testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—in long-term care facilities identified a high number of asymptomatic cases. Read more.
Medicare Data Show Disproportionate Effect of COVID-19 on Racial, Ethnic Minorities
Among Medicare beneficiaries, racial minorities—African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives—have been disproportionately affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic compared with white beneficiaries, according to a “Preliminary Medicare COVID-19 Snapshot” released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Read more.
HHS Renews Declaration of Public Health Emergency for COVID-19
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar formally renewed the agency’s determination that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency. Read more.
Mayo Clinic Announces Advanced Care at Home Model with Medically Home
The Mayo Clinic, in a collaboration with Boston-based technology-enabled services company Medically Home, has announced a new at-home advanced care model. Read more.
Fatal Overdoses Climbed to Record High in 2019, Reversing Historic Progress
There were 70,980 reported deaths from overdoses in 2019, surpassing the peak of 70,699 deaths in 2017, according to preliminary CDC data. Read more.
|
|
RESEARCH
Health Care Costs For Transition-Age Youth With Autism Higher Than Costs For Peers With ADHD, But Lower Than Peers With Diabetes
Health care costs for transition-age youth (TAY) ages 14 to 25 diagnosed with autism were higher than costs for TAY diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and for TAY in the general population. Read more.
Lessons From Pandemic Could Advance Understanding of How Best to Support Vulnerable Families
The trauma and unpredictability of COVID-19 are likely to add stress in the lives of vulnerable children, including those who are abused, maltreated, and/or have a mental illness. There is much that can be learned from such stress to help vulnerable families in the future, according to an article published in JAMA Pediatrics. Read more.
Childhood Abuse Survivors With PTSD Benefit From DBT-PTSD and CPT Therapies
Women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with childhood abuse improved significantly with both dialectical behavior therapy for PTSD (DBT-PTSD) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), with DBT-PTSD resulting in slightly more favorable outcomes, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. Read more.
Deaths From Illicit Opioids Rise Dramatically While Deaths From Prescription Opioids Fall
Deaths involving illicit opioids, stimulants (such as methamphetamine), heroin, and cocaine rose dramatically between 2015 and the end of 2019, according to a report released Monday by the AMA’s Opioid Task Force. Read more.
COVID-19 Fear, Food Insecurity May Worsen Depressive Symptoms, Survey Finds
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant fear and stress for people around the world. A report in Depression & Anxiety now describes how COVID-19-related fear and food insecurity are likely contributing to higher levels of depression in U.S. adults. Read more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
