Issues & Events

An estimated 24.3 million people aged 18 years or older experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year - and only 44.6% of them received any kind of mental health services, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Full Story

Looking for a way to influence health care legislation? The Nurse In Washington Internship (NIWI) provides nurses the opportunity to learn how to influence health care through the legislative and regulatory processes. Participants learn from health policy experts and government officials, network with other nurses, and visit members of Congress. NIWI is open to any RN or nursing student that is interested in learning more about the legislative process. NIWI 2009 will be held at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. March 29-31, 2009. For more information click here or call 859-514-9157.

APNA extends its deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of UW School of Nursing Faculty Members Dr. Carol Macnee and Dr. Susan McCabe who were tragically killed in a car accident in December 2008. Full Story

The extraordinarily difficult struggle to find nurses licensed in psychiatric care has forced the North Carolina state agency that oversees mental health care in Western North Carolina to discontinue crucial services for its most critical patients. For months, the Smoky Mountain Center for Mental Health has tried desperately to lure psychiatric nurses to help staff the new inpatient psychiatric wing at Haywood Regional Medical Center, which opened in October, reported the Smoky Mountain News. Full Story

Policy

Former Senator Tom Daschle, President-Elect Obama’s newly appointed head of the Department of Health and Human Services, is seeking the public’s input/ comments on health care at Change.gov. Alcohol, drug addiction and mental health issues do not appear to have been mentioned very often on the site, so this is an opportunity to give the transition team your concerns and suggestions! Click here to visit the site.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare has drafted a practical actionable agenda for 2009 to ensure that mental health and addictions services received promised financial commitments as a part of healthcare reform: Full Story

APNA News

Free Online Sleep Course
APNA is offering a free online course to members - Sleep & Chronobiology for Psychiatric Nurses. This course aims to provide you with critical fundamental knowledge to understand the relationship between sleep, health and the implications of impaired sleep to psychiatric illness. Register now by signing in to the Members Only section at www.apna.org. Click on the "Sleep and Chronobiology Course" link for instructions. Once registered, you will receive a login and password for the hosting site (University of Massachusetts Lowell) via email. Registration closes in March 2009.

APNA Seeks Your Expertise in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Education
The APNA Education Council is about to begin several important projects and is seeking members to fill vacant positions on the Council Steering Committee. The Education Council provides expertise to the APNA Board of Directors on psychiatric mental health nursing education and related issues. Click here for full details APNA Education Council.

APNA Call for Abstracts - Submission Site Open
The 2009 APNA Conference Committee invites you to submit an abstract to be considered for presentation at the 23rd Annual Conference. The theme for this year's conference is Many Differences. One Voice. Practice, Research, Education, Administration. Click here for more information.

New Website Section Dedicated to LACE Info
APNA has launched a new section of its website dedicated to Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education (LACE). Click here to visit the site.