Legislative

Earlier this month, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) sent a letter to to Congressman David Obey (D-WI) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) urging Congress to include a $100 million net increase for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant in the economic recovery bill. Read the Letter

A key Senate committee recently voted to expand a children's health insurance program to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children. The vote comes one day after the House passed a similar measure. The legislation to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program passed easily, 12-7, despite losing support from some Republicans who had worked closely with Democrats on the issue in 2007. Full Story

Policy

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Quality Measurement, Resource Use Measurement, and Value-Based Purchasing Roadmaps for the traditional Medicare Fee-For-Service Program. "These documents are intended to offer a vision for the future and potential options for CMS to pursue to improve the quality and value of health care delivered in the United States and to shift the Medicare FFS program away from paying providers based solely on the volume of services and instead paying them for quality and value of care," said Kerry Weems, CMS acting Administrator. Full Story

Four years after launching the Recovery Kentucky Initiative, the number of prison and jail-based drug treatment beds tripled, while the number of treatment programs doubled in prisons and grew seven-fold in jails. Looking ahead, the future is even brighter, with the addition of 1,000 more community-based beds for paroles on the horizon, reported BHC Journal. Full Story

Issues & Events

A special edition of National Council Magazine portrays the current landscape in children’s mental health and addictions. The magazine outlines the challenges in funding, policy, and practice; and highlights innovative and effective community services and supports that are increasingly available to children and youth with behavioral health challenges and to their families. Read the Magazine. (PDF file)

Hundreds of clinical and neuroscience researchers, clinicians, and health care consumers from a variety of psychiatric specialties and backgrounds are working together to develop the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, scheduled for publication in 2012. The American Psychiatric Association began the long process of updating the manual with a series of planning conferences in 1999. Years of planning, literature review, conferences, new research and debate among top experts in mental health research and treatment will go into the updated manual, known as DSM-V. Full Story (PDF file)

Nursing schools across Maryland are trying to expand even as they face space constraints, faculty shortages and budget cuts - and it comes at a time when hospitals continue to battle a looming nursing shortage. The University of Maryland School of Nursing turned away 150 qualified students last fall seeking entry. And the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is maxed out of space at its current 100,000-square-foot building in East Baltimore. The school is at capacity with nearly 700 students - up from 430 in 1997, reported Baltimore Business Journal. Full Story

APNA News

Grant Application Deadline Approaching
The American Psychiatric Nursing Foundation (APNF) is pleased to continue the research grants program to enhance scientific contributions advancing the knowledge and practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. APNF will award up to five (5) individual grants of up to $5,000 per award. You have exactly one month to get your applications in! The deadline for submissions is February 16, 2009. Read More

PNCB Seeks Input From APNA
In recognition of the leadership role APNA plays in psychiatric mental health nursing, it has been asked by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) to provide input to their organization on child and adolescent mental and behavioral health. The PNCB has gathered information from a variety of national resources to establish interest in the development of a mechanism of formal recognition of a post APRN certification specialty in child and adolescent mental and behavioral health for primary care providers. If you are a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist who provides for the primary care behavioral and mental health needs of children, you are invited to respond to PNCB's APRN Mental Health Needs Assessment Survey by clicking here. There is more information on this activity on the PNCB website. We also ask that you forward any comments you have to APNA care of Nicholas Croce, APNA Executive Director, ncroce@apna.org.

Save the Date - 7th Annual CPI Conference - June 26-28, 2009
The 7th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute will focus on complex clinical issues addressing the most current practices and insights on clinical psychopharmacology. CPI is appropriate for generalist and advanced practice psychiatric nurses - especially those who administer and/or prescribe medications. Click here for registration info. Click here for a tentative program.