President's Message
In APNA’s online community, Member Bridge, there was a great discussion recently on the important voice that a psychiatric-mental health nurse brings to her position, particularly when speaking up for safe and effective person-centric care. It takes determination and bravery to fight for change, to insist on bridging gaps in care, to ensure that your patients receive the high quality services they need. (Cont'd)

In Your Own Words: Psych Nurses' Stories
This month, we hear from Dr. Elizabeth Gregory, the Corporate Behavioral Health Program Director with Amedisys: While in nursing school, I sang in the chorus led by a chaplain at a local hospital. He asked me to join him to provide music on the psychiatric unit. There was a young man on the unit who had not spoken since his admission to the unit. (Cont'd)

Member News
Diane Allen and Justin Souther featured in OSHA publication "Caring for Our Caregivers"; Diane Allen co-authors research paper on the expansion of the role of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners in state mental health systems; Mary Ann Boyd's Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice named a 2015 Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing; Suzanne Goetz named 2015 Nurse of the Year by the Nebraska Chapter of March of Dimes and Methodist Health System and West Corp; Bernadette Melnyk introduces new program to reduce depression and unhealthy weight in teens and is honored by the National Cancer Institute; Allison Page profiled for her innovative Trail Talk; R. John Repique pens Letter to the Editor of the New York Times about gun violence; Mona Shattell blogs on holiday season at-risk alcohol use for the Huffington Post. (Learn More)

APNA 30th Annual Conference Call for Abstracts Now Open
The cornerstone of the APNA Annual Conference is the presentations by psychiatric-mental health nurses that cover all aspects of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Past conference presenters have told us that the opportunity to present is ‘validating’ and ‘rewarding’. Don't miss your chance to share your unique perspective and energize your peers by submitting an abstract for the APNA 30th Annual Conference!  Abstracts Submission Deadline: March 7, 2016. (Learn more)

Top Shared Member Bridge Resources
The All-Purpose Discussion Forum library offers a wealth of resources shared by members. Top resources shared include:

• BPD Guidelines: Outline of guidelines for effectively working with individuals affected by Borderline Personality Disorder.
• Mental Health Scale Toolkit: Evidence-based practice tools that help support a complete view of an individual's overall health.
• Professional Attire Poster: Recommendations about staff attire from an evidence-based perspective.

View these resources and more in the All-Purpose Discussion Forum Library here or share your own resource with our instructions here.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: Issue 2 is Now Available
Designed for nurses at all levels, this eBook details bipolar illness pathology, effective interactions, and the evidence-based biologic interventions that can make a difference. Explore the etiology of and treatments for biological symptoms of bipolar spectrum disorders, including symptoms of depression, mood changes, and behavior dysregulation. Become an expert in drug mechanisms of action, side effects and methods to manage them, and evaluating educational needs of individuals and families affected by bipolar spectrum disorders. Earn 2.5 continuing education contact hours in psychopharmacology! (Learn more)

APNA 29th Annual Conference Podcasts
53 recordings of sessions from the 2015 Annual Conference are now available online. Conference attendees can use their bonus points to access these recordings for free. Or if you missed the conference, you can still get the content! Browse the sessions currently online and check back soon for new podcasts. (Browse sessions)

Save the Dates: 2016 Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute & APNA Annual Conference
Planning your conference travel for 2016? Be sure to mark your calendars for the APNA 14th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute (CPI) and APNA 30th Annual Conference. Use our budget guides for CPI and the Annual Conference to plan your trips. CPI will take place June 9-12, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. The Annual Conference will be October 19-22, 2016 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. See you there!

Resource Roundup

• Chapter Updates: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New England, New Mexico, Pennsylvania
• Substance Use Resources: Current Substance Use Data and Statistics now added and new Education resources available for contact hours

New Members: 332 New Members since November!

Members of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Committee on Nursing Practice Standards are conducting a research study to obtain information on the dissemination and adoption of ANA’s Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice document. You are invited to participate in this study if you are a registered nurse (RN) in the U.S. with an active license and currently practicing nursing in any role or setting. To participate in the study, click here.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for up to $13,267,000 in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grants. The purpose of this program is to implement screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment services for adults in primary care and community health settings for substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs). This program is designed to expand and enhance the state and tribal continuum of care for SUD services and reduce consumption of alcohol and other drugs. Other goals of the program include increasing abstinence and reducing utilization of more costly health care. Full Story

A recent Washington Post article examines the growing use of “telebehavioral health.” Full Story

Wolters Kluwer released of a mobile version of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) toolkit from the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Full Story

Nursing continues to be rated the most trusted profession, according to the annual Gallup poll ranking of honesty and ethics in various fields. Full Story

Click here for the January State Legislative Activity Report, made available as a part of APNA's new legislative tracking system!

The Alzheimer’s Association applauded the historic $350 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research funding in the FY2016 budget, signed into law Dec. 18, 2015 by President Barack Obama. This marks the largest increase ever for federal Alzheimer’s research funding-a nearly 60% increase over FY2015 funding levels. Full Story

American Nurses Association (ANA) President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, commended Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and Senator Al Franken (D-MN) for the reintroduction of the Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act, (H.R. 4266/S. 2408). The bill would establish a national occupational safety standard that would eliminate the manual lifting of patients by registered nurses (RNs) and health care workers through the use of modern technology and safety controls. Full Story

Behavioral health professionals face an uphill battle if they want to practice in Nebraska, lawmakers were told at a legislative hearing in November, reported The Banner Press. Legislative Resolution 185, sponsored by Sens. Sue Crawford of Bellevue and Kathy Campbell of Lincoln, called for an interim study of issues faced by Nebraska's mental health practitioners, doctoral-level graduate students, nurses and psychiatrists. The professionals who testified emphasized the difficulties in becoming a licensed practitioner, as well as the shortage of mental health professionals in the state. Full Story

Caregivers, government officials and advocates hailed a recent announcement that New Hampshire stands to receive $150 million in new federal funding to reorganize and better integrate treatment programs for persons with mental illness and substance use disorders, reported Valley News. Full Story

Adding an NP with a background in psychiatric nursing was just one tactic a Chicago nursing director used to dramatically improve care among unfunded behavioral health patients in the ED, reported HealthLeadersMedia.com. Full Story

More than 80% of emergency physicians say the mental health care systems in their regions are not working for patients, according to a new survey of nearly 1,500 emergency physicians. To help address these challenges, more than 30 of the nation's top mental health and emergency medicine leaders are launching  the Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies, also known as "COPE," aimed at improving patient care in emergency departments during psychiatric crisis. Full Story

NASMPHD submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding revisions to requirements for discharge planning for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and home health agencies. Click here to read the full comment letter.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is Accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.