The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a new fact sheet designed to help mental health and substance abuse service providers make the transition to the new International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) code sets. The ICD-10 which goes into effect on October 1, 2014 will affect diagnosis and inpatient procedure coding for everyone covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The change to ICD-10 does not affect Current Procedural Terminology coding for outpatient procedures. However, all of the services provided for either substance use or mental disorders are subject to HIPAA standards; therefore, health care providers must shift to ICD-10 once it becomes effective. Full Story

A new federally-funded review of thousands of studies finds that there are more than two dozen autism interventions worthy of being called “evidence-based.” Researchers combed through over 29,000 studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2011 that tested various behavioral, developmental or educational interventions for autism to identify the most meaningful approaches for those with the developmental disorder from birth through age 22, reported Disability Scoop. Full Story

The American Nurses Association announces a call for applications for the Nursing Scope and Standards Revision Workgroup and an associated Nursing Scope and Standards Revision Advisory Workgroup to undertake the review and revision of the 2010 Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. The Revision Workgroup will meet two times per month via two-hour conference calls and via email starting in early 2014.  The Advisory Workgroup will dialogue electronically and may also be invited to participate in one or two conference calls in 2014. All registered nurse applicants must be either an ANA member OR a member of one of ANA’s two Premier Organizational Affiliates (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association). Electronic applications for this 12-18 month intensive professional work effort will be accepted through January 31, 2014. Click here for further details about the expected commitment of workgroup members and the application process.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the MacArthur Foundation are collaborating on an effort targeting the behavioral health needs of youth in contact with the juvenile justice system. Propelled by the success of the collaboration’s previous two-year project to divert youth with behavioral health conditions from the juvenile justice system to community-based programs and services, the new initiative will continue to advance such reform. Most youth in contact with the juvenile justice system have either a diagnosable mental or substance use disorder. Studies have found that up to 70 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system met criteria for a mental disorder and over 60 percent of these youth also met criteria for a substance use disorder. Full Story

SAMHSA is announcing two grant funding opportunities to help improve mental health services for young people. Planning Grants for Expansion of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program – this grant program will provide $8 million in funding to assist states, political subdivisions, tribes, or territories to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for improving, expanding, and sustaining services provided through a system of care approach for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families. Implementation Cooperative Agreements for Expansion of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program – this grant program will provide $23 million in funding to enable states, political subdivisions, tribes, or territories to improve behavioral health outcomes for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families. Full Story

On January 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to remove antidepressants and immunosuppressants from the protected class status they received under Medicare Part D in 2015, and to remove antipsychotics from that status in 2016. Full Story

The funding bill signed into law January 17 by President Obama contained an unprecedented $122 million increase for Alzheimer's research, education, outreach and caregiver support. The new federal funding allocated for Alzheimer's disease includes a $100 million increase for the National Institute on Aging for Alzheimer's research, which will be added to what the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates will be $484 million in Alzheimer's research funding across NIH in fiscal year 2013. A further $3.3 million has been provided to support Alzheimer's caregivers, $4 million to train health professionals on issues related to Alzheimer's disease, $10.5 million to expand the home and community based caregiver services and $4.2 million for outreach activities to raise awareness. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Initiative will receive $30 million to support brain research that could impact several diseases, including Alzheimer's. Full Story

The Veterans Health Administration is in the midst of a dispute about a proposal to let advanced practice registered nurses practice without physician supervision, even in states that have laws requiring oversight, reported Beckers Hospital Review. Full Story

Emergency departments may not be the best choice for persons suffering from severe mental illness or emotional distress. According to a new qualitative study by DePaul University School of Nursing researchers, persons in a mental health crisis may be better served in an alternative recovery-oriented, homelike environment instead of a traditional emergency department, reported News-Medical.net. Full Story

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