President's Message: Undeterred by the Elements!
Hope those of you who were affected by recent storms have dug out from under the snowdrifts! Props to those who went beyond the call of duty to make sure your patients were cared for - winter weather is no match for your dedication! APNA continues to move forward as well, undeterred by the elements. Cont'd

Member News: Your Colleagues in the News
Laura G. Leahy discusses new genetic test; Tracey Linegar Taylor contributor to Defense Centers of Excellence article; Linda Denise Oakley featured in University of Wisconsin News; Liz Poster will step down as Dean and return to faculty position; OpEds by Mona Shattell posted online; Nancy Valentine appointed to Board of Trustees; Barbara Warren contributor to Guest Column in SAMHSA E-Newsletter More Info

Annual Conference: Abstract Submission Deadline March 4th
Presenters at the APNA Annual Conference don't just share their expertise, they also experience the conference in a unique way...submit an abstract to be considered for presentation at the APNA 27th Annual Conference! Submission Deadline: 3/4/13 (next Monday!)  Learn More & Submit

Call to Action: Talking Points for Mental Health
A message from the Institute for Mental Health Advocacy: On Monday, February 4th, US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued an editorial calling upon all of America to "bring mental illness out of the shadows". Cont'd

CPI: Register Today!
Registration is now open for the APNA 11th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute. Held in Reston, Virginia, June 20th-23rd, CPI will provide attendees with continuing education on psychopharmacologic practice across the lifespan and the opportunity to earn up to 23 contact hours. One highlight will be the keynotes, to be delivered by Thomas Insel, MD, Director of NIMH, and David Mineta, Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. More Info

Continuing Education: 2 Free Sessions / 2 Free Contact Hrs
APNA has two new free sessions in the APNA eLearning Center! In response to member requests, How to Decide on a PhD or DNP: How do Goals, Process and Outcomes Compare? (0.5 contact hrs) was developed by the Graduate Education committee of the APNA Education Council to clarify the differences between a PhD program and the DNP program. Counseling Points™: Shedding the Label of Schizophrenia Through the Recovery Model (1.5 contact hrs) educates psychiatric nurses about the value and benefits of the recovery model in working with persons with schizophrenia. APNA eLearning Center

SAMHSA Voice Awards: Open for Nominations
Anyone is welcome to nominate a peer leader, a TV/film writer, or producer! SAMHSA's Voice Awards honor consumer/peer leaders who have helped to raise awareness and understanding of mental illness. The awards also recognize TV/film writers and producers who have given a voice to people with behavioral health problems through dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of these individuals in their scripts, programs, and productions. For the past two years, APNA has been a proud Voice Awards Program Partner. More Info

Elections: Who will be APNA's Next Leaders?
Let us know your recommendations! Nominate a colleague who has proven to be a great leader or nominate yourself to continue your leadership in APNA. To submit a nomination, send your contact information to APNA Executive Director Nicholas Croce, Jr., MS at ncroce@apna.org by Friday, March 15th. You can nominate yourself or another member for any of these positions: President-Elect, Secretary, Member at Large, Nominating Committee Member. More Info

Resource Roundup: January & February New Resources

New Members: 459 new members since December!

To provide guidance for physicians, individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's, and the public, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the Alzheimer's Association have jointly published the first criteria for the appropriate use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technology to aid in the diagnosis of people with suspected Alzheimer's disease. Full Story

The National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council) is preparing mental health and addictions treatment organizations to meet the significant increase in demand for services by leveraging innovative online treatment technologies. The National Council has forged a partnership with myStrength, Inc., a digital behavioral health company that helps clinicians extend care by offering web-based and mobile self-help resources to patients. Full Story

The American Psychiatric Association is greatly encouraged by the Health and Human Service's announcement of new grants for the National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups (NCDDG) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders, Drug or Alcohol Addiction. "There has been a lack in recent years of new medications that build upon research advances that could lead to safe, effective psychotropic medications that have fewer side effects than older medications. This new initiative will be a catalyst for the development of new treatments for psychiatric and substance use disorders," said APA president, Dilip Jeste, M.D. Full Story (PDF file)

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) recently introduced the Excellence in Mental Health Act. This legislation would support the nation’s community mental health and addictions system by establishing national standards and oversight for Federally Qualified Community Behavioral Health Centers (FQCBHCs). For the 1 in 5 Americans living with mental illnesses and addictions, this would mean greater access to the services and treatments needed to keep them healthy and safe in their communities. Full Story

Sen. Al Franken used a recent hearing on gun violence to preview a new bill he said would increase students’ access to mental health care at schools around the country. Franken’s Mental Health in Schools Act would cost $1 billion over five years, and provide schools with up to $1 million in grant money annually to partner with local organizations to provide mental health services to students, reported MinnPost.com. Full Story

In an effort to improve mental health services for young people and prevent youth suicides, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization. The reauthorization will help improve access to counseling for at-risk teens and promote the development of statewide suicide early intervention and prevention strategies.  It will also increase federal funding for competitive grants to help states, colleges, universities, and tribes improve mental and behavioral health counseling services.  Overall, the bill authorizes the federal government to award up to $44 million annually to help states and non-profit institutions prevent youth suicide. Full Story

The Oregon Senate passed Senate Bill 8 by a unanimous vote, sending to the House a measure that would expand nurse practitioners’ power to dispense medication to urban areas. The bill is supported by the Oregon Nurses Association and was pushed on behalf of ZoomCare, a chain of clinics in Portland and Salem which makes extensive use of nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to lower healthcare costs, reported The Lund Report. Full Story

A report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 62 million Americans will gain expanded coverage of mental health and substance use treatment services thanks to the ACA’s coverage expansions and the application of parity to new types of plans beginning in 2014. Full Story

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Financing Reform and Innovations has developed a new Information Resource Center to provide people in the behavioral health care field important information about how the Affordable Care Act can improve access to behavioral healthcare services. The Information Resource Center can answer many of the specific questions about how the Affordable Care Act will affect various aspects of the behavioral health care community, as well as provide updates on the status of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation. Full Story

Kaiser Health News recently interviewed David Hebert, a veteran health care lobbyist and the first CEO of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to discuss the changing role nurse practitioners may soon have, as well as some physicians' efforts to stop them. Full Story

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has made significant progress in providing increased access to mental health care services for our Nation’s Veterans by hiring new mental health professionals.  Last year, Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced a goal to hire 1,600 new mental health clinical providers and 300 administrative support staff.  The President’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order requires the positions to be filled by June 30, 2013.  As of Jan. 29, VA has hired 1,058 mental health clinical providers and 223 administrative support staff in support of this specific goal. 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.