President’s Message: When the Spirit Moves You
You inspire me. Our connection paradigm is shifting and evolving with your interpretations of CONNECTION....  Keep reading

Psychotherapy insights to enhance your practice at CPI
Sattaria (Tari) Dilks and Sara L. Jones preview their presentation, Enhancing Psychopharmacology through Psychotherapy, set for the upcoming APNA 22nd Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute. Get your sneak peek

Why I answered the APNA Call for Nominations
Evelyn Perkins, Secretary of the APNA Board of Directors from 2020 to 2023, shares why she answered the APNA Call for Nominations to join the Board of Directors – and why you should, too

My PMH Nurse Luminary leads by example
An APNA member shines a light on the guidance of her nurse luminary: a nurse practitioner and educator. Be illuminated

APNA is pleased to introduce its new Suicide Prevention Certificate Program
Now 100% on demand and online, this program will help increase confidence and competence in the nursing skills of suicide assessment, management, and prevention. Take me to the program

Just announced: the 2024 APNA Annual Awards Recipients
Join in recognizing these APNA members who demonstrate excellence in PMH nursing practice, education, research, leadership, community efforts, and more. Be inspired by these outstanding members

Scholarship made just for future nurses
Wrap up those applications – due April 2 – for the APNA Board of Directors Scholarship. It features complimentary registration, travel, and lodging to attend the upcoming APNA Annual Conference plus one year of membership in APNA. Apply for this unique scholarship

Advance your career with the APNA Memorial Scholarship
Receive complimentary travel, lodging, and registration to the APNA 38th Annual Conference with this scholarship, made possible by donations in honor of APNA members who made a lasting impact on PMH nurses and those they serve. The program is taking applications through April 30. Apply today!

Send your proposal for an APNA Research Grant
Share yours by April 12 and have a draft of your proposal reviewed by the APNA Research & Scholarship Council for feedback to incorporate into your final proposal! I’d appreciate a preliminary review

Share your news and be featured in APNA Member News
Have you been featured in an article, received an award, been noticed for your research and scholarship, or have another exciting achievement? Share your stories with APNA News!

Remote cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is just as effective as in-person CBT for a range of mental health and somatic disorders, a new review of more than 50 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) showed, reported MedScape. The RCTs included more than 5000 patients receiving CBT for conditions such as mood, anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorders, as well as chronic pain, insomnia, and alcohol use disorder. Full Story

Resources for Integrated Care updated the Behavioral Health Integration Capacity Assessment (BHICA) Guide and interactive BHICA Tool, originally published in 2014, to help organizations that provide behavioral health services evaluate their capacity to offer integrated primary care services. The BHICA Guide and BHICA Tool are unique among similar resources in that they explicitly address behavioral health and primary care integration for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the launch of nearly $50 million for HRSA’s Rural Opioid Treatment and Recovery Initiative and released the initiative’s funding application. Funding will support establishing and expanding comprehensive substance use disorder treatment and recovery services in rural areas, including by increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine. Full Story

Nearly 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022, up 1% from a year earlier, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The female overdose death rate declined for the first time in five years, although the male overdose death rate continued to inch up, the report said. Males account for about 70% of U.S. overdose deaths. Full Report

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced notices of funding opportunities for grant programs addressing behavioral health across the country. The grant opportunities total $39.4 million and are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to beat the overdose epidemic and tackle the mental health crisis. Full Story

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) announced that applications are open for a new, multi-million dollar behavioral health scholarship program. Eligible students can receive up to $15,000 in tuition assistance per academic year for up to two years as they pursue a master’s degree in fields including counseling, psychiatric nursing, social work, psychology, or similar behavioral health professions.  In return for the tuition support, students must commit to working for a public behavioral health provider for the same amount of time they were on scholarship. Learn More

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) announced the introduction of the Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act, which would limit mandatory overtime for nurses by barring hospitals and health systems from requiring nurses to work additional hours, mandating nondiscrimination protections to safeguard nurses from retaliation, and enforcing penalties for any violations. Full Story

Bipartisan congressional leaders have announced a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). The bill also includes $34 million to fund and continue to implement the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Full Story

In California, Proposition 1, the mental health bond championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, has finally secured enough votes to pass. Under Proposition 1, California will use $6.4 billion in bond funding to build housing and residential treatment facilities for people with mental illness and will divert more of the state’s mental health funding to intensive treatment, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new framework to accelerate smoking cessation and reduce smoking- and cessation-related disparities. This action is part of a broader department-wide effort to advance the Biden Cancer Moonshot goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least half over 25 years. Full Story To access the framework click here.

MedPage Today interviewed Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about how HHS is addressing mental health issues among U.S. kids and adolescents. Watch the interview here.

In recognition of National Criminal Justice Month, NAMI released a new publication, Trends in Mental Health and Criminal Justice State Policy. This issue brief provides policy recommendations and highlights successful state legislation from 2023 to reduce criminal justice system-involvement for people with mental illness. Full Story

Click here to see letters APNA has signed on to as a part of its participation in coalitions that further policy for nursing and mental health.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.