| Legislative | Policy | Issues & Events | APNA Highlights |
 
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Legislative |
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The Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act sponsored by Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was reintroduced April 2, 2009 in the House of Representatives. This bill will support loan repayment, scholarships, clinical training grants, and education grants for children’s mental health professionals including psychiatric nurses, among others. Full Story During a recent hearing Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius responded to Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D-MI), two-part question about inclusion of mental health in health reform and the integration of children's mental health services in that effort. Click here to read the transcript. Additionally, Senator Stabenow is leading an effort in the Senate to increase funding for the Mental Health Services Block Grant by at least $100 million in FY2010. The Senator is circulating a Dear Colleague letter asking for signatures on a letter she intends to send to Senators Harkin and Specter, the chair and ranking member of the Labor-HHS subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Full Story On April 8, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Health Reform. In signing the order, Obama said that health care overhaul is one of the biggest priorities for the first year of his presidency. The office will be headed by former Clinton administration health official Nancy-Ann DeParle. Read the order. The West Virginia Legislature recently passed the Mental Health Stabilization Act of 2009, hoping to improve the reputation of the mental health system in the state, reported PsychCentral.com. Full Story |
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Issues & Events |
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The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) is seeking public comment (Deadline: Apr. 20, 2009) on proposed clinical nurse specialist (CNS entry-level practice doctorate) competencies that have been developed to guide practice and education for CNSs prepared at the practice doctoral level. Full Story A new national report, based on a series of national surveys, finds that a smaller percentage of adolescents (age 12-17) were exposed to substance use prevention messages in 2007 (77.9%) than in 2002 (83.2%). Similarly, a smaller percentage of adolescents are participating in out of school substance use prevention programs (from 12.7% in 2002 to 11.3% in 2007), according to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). However, the report shows a significant rise during this same period in the level of adolescents who engaged in substance abuse-related conversations with at least one parent (from 58.1% in 2002 to 59.6% in 2007). The report shows that these conversations are associated with lower rates of current substance use by an adolescent. Full Story Trend analysis shows strong demand for behavioral health services. Inpatient hospital admissions, for example, increased 3.5% from 2006 to 2007 (to an average of 2,688) in facilities reporting in both years. Hospital lengths of stay increased 1% (from 9.6 days in 2006 to 9.7 days in 2007). Trended residential treatment admissions in the same time frame held steady between 2006 and 2007 (an average of 179 in 2006 and 178 in 2007), according to the latest annual survey from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems. Full Story (PDF file) |
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Policy |
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The Joint Commission has reduced its new and revised requirements (from 165 to 87) as part of its hospital deeming application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Restraint and seclusion represents one of the four major categories of the 87 new requirements which are available on The Joint Commission website. Full Story The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has created a new place on its website www.samhsa.gov/healthreform for posting and exchanging ideas about the issues and opportunities surrounding the future shape of America's health system – especially on how reform may affect mental health, substance abuse prevention and treatment services. The goal of the website is to provide background information to policy makers and opinion leaders on this important perspective of the health reform discussion. States, local governments, providers, consumers, the recovery community and family members can work together on this website to examine opportunities where health system reform might enhance prevention, treatment, and recovery services to people in need. Full Story |
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APNA Highlights |
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Call for Comments on Joint Commission Revisions APNA will submit comments directly to the Joint Commission on behalf of PMHN and forward those comments to the American Nurses Association who will provide comment on behalf of all nursing. Please review the documents by clicking here (PDF file) and email your comments to Nicholas Croce, APNA Executive Director, at ncroce@apna.org. Please send your comments by April 24, 2009. APNA 7th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute,
June 26-28, 2009 Your registration includes:
Register early (by June 5th) and take advantage of Special Early Bird Pricing - $50 off regular registration rates. Check Out the New APNA.org
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