President’s Message: Happy Nurses and Mental Health Awareness Months!
You can’t see me here at my desk, but in my mind’s eye I can see you. Read On

Member News
Several fellow nurses are being recognized with Daisy Awards for their extraordinary dedication. Find Out More

Being the Change: One Nurse’s Purposeful Path
A childhood colored by foster care and substance use pointed Crystal Wood to a career in psychiatric-mental health nursing with a mission. Read more

Words to Live (and work) By
In honor of Nurses and Mental Health Awareness Months, give yourself a lift with inspiring thoughts from previous APNA Annual awards recipients. See Words of Wisdom

Celebrating YOU!
Check out this free session and more in celebration of Nurses & Mental Health Awareness Months. Learn More

For PMH Nurses Today and Beyond – Updated Scope & Standards
The 3rd edition of this essential guide for psychiatric-mental health nursing will be available this June. Learn More

APNA Elections: Ready. Set. Vote.
Have your say in determining the leadership that will guide your profession in the years ahead. Learn More

From East to West – Togetherness is the BEST
Pharmacology contact hours and the premier event for psychiatric-mental health nurses are within your grasp. Learn More

Task Forces Unveil Resources for Caring for Individuals with Personality Disorders
Clinical pearls for each disorder synthesize nurse expert knowledge and experience to assist you in applying these principles into your practice. Discover What’s Inside

There were several important announcements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this month:

• HHS, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced a State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding opportunity that will provide nearly $1.5 billion to states and territories to help address the Nation’s opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. The SOR grant program provides formula funding to states and territories for increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), and for supporting prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for OUD and other concurrent substance use disorders (SUD). Full Story
• HHS announced a funding opportunity of nearly $15 million for a three-year federal grant to establish a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program that will strengthen the delivery of behavioral health care to residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Full Story
• In partnership with the Department of Labor, HHS has developed new, free informational resources that inform Americans of their rights under law on coverage for mental health benefits. Full Story
• HHS, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced its first-ever behavioral health Recovery Innovation Challenge. The goal of this challenge is to identify innovations developed by peer-run or community-based organizations, and entities that may partner with them—such as local or state governments, health systems, hospitals, or health plans—that advance recovery. Full Story
• HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, a new, confidential, toll-free hotline for expecting and new moms experiencing mental health challenges. Full Story
• HHS, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced $55 million in funding for its Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant program. This program reflects HHS’ commitment to evidence-based programs addressing opioid and stimulant misuse in tribal communities. Full Story
• HHS, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced $2 million in funding to establish a national center of excellence (CoE) on social media and mental wellness. The purpose of the CoE will be to develop and disseminate information, guidance, and training on the impact—including benefits and risks—that social media use has on children and youth, especially the risks to their mental health. Full Story
• HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced a nearly $3.5 million five-year grant opportunity to develop a Center of Excellence, advancing behavioral health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities while reducing behavioral health-related disparities. Full Story

More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated. The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15% increase from the previous record, set the year before, according to an AP report. Full Story

New from NIAAA and offering free CME/CE credits, the Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol is a one-stop center for information and resources to help healthcare professionals provide evidence-based alcohol care. The Core will equip healthcare professionals to provide better care for patients whose alcohol use may be affecting their health. Learn More

Quest Diagnostics is diving into the market for blood tests that aid in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Quest’s test, which has been available for about a month, is called the QUEST AD-Detect Amyloid Beta 42/40 Ratio. As the name implies, the test measures the ratio between two peptides of amyloid beta. The idea essentially is to gauge whether amyloid beta is leaving the blood and, presumably, starting to form plaques in the brain, a precursor to Alzheimer’s. Full Story

FDA has authorized the first in vitro diagnostic to help diagnose early Alzheimer’s disease. The agency said the test minimizes radiation risks to patients who otherwise would need to be tested with positron emission tomography (PET) scans. FDA announced it has given the green light to Fujirebio Diagnostics’ de novo application for its Lumipulse G β-Amyloid Ratio (1-42/1-40) test, which is intended for patients ages 55 years and older who have shown cognitive impairment. The test also received breakthrough device designation, meaning it was able to get through an expedited review process for products with unmet need. Full Story

A new survey from CVS Health and Morning Consult found that 59% of Americans have experienced concerns about either their own mental health or the mental health of family and friends—a 9-percentage point increase since April 2020.found that 59% of Americans have experienced concerns about either their own mental health or the mental health of family and friends—a 9-percentage point increase since April 2020. Full Story

A record 5.4 million people in 2021 took a mental health screening using the Mental Health America (MHA) Online Screening Program, a 103% increase over 2020 and a nearly 500% increase over 2019. Specifically, MHA saw more youth looking online for help with their mental health. Screeners in 2021 skewed younger than ever in the history of MHA’s Online Screening Program. Youth aged 11-17 represented 45% percent of individuals in the U.S. who took a screen in 2021, a 3% increase over 2020 and a 16% increase over 2019. Full Story

The U.S. could face a labor gap of up to 450,000 nurses by 2025, reported The Hill. An analysis from McKinsey & Company specifically found a potential shortage of between 200,000 and 450,000 nurses who are available for direct patient care. To correct this, the U.S. would need to more than double the number of new graduates entering and staying in the nursing workforce every year for the next three years straight. Full Story

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans - 41 million people – received mental health support in 2020 though their employer coverage. That includes 6 million children who received mental health support as a dependent through an employer-provided plan, according to new research conducted by AHIP’s Coverage@Work campaign. The study also found that almost 40% of visits for psychotherapy were conducted through a telehealth appointment in 2020, compared to less than 1% in 2019. Full Story

A bipartisan duo of senators introduced legislation to reauthorize a series of mental health and substance use programs expected to expire later this year, reported FierceHealthcare.com. The Mental Health Reform Reauthorization Act of 2022 would reauthorize key block grant programs, expand access to pediatric mental health and aims to boost the mental health workforce. The legislation would reauthorize key programs passed in 2016 under the 21st Century Cures Act. Full Story

U.S. Senator Baldwin, a member of the Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee, introduced legislation to protect health care and social services employees from workplace violence, reported WisPolitics.com. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act directs OSHA to issue a standard requiring health care and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to prevent and protect their employees from violent incidents. Full Story

In the 2022 Healthy Minds poll released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Americans agree on three APA-backed approaches to improving timely access to mental health care and treatment. Specifically, 75% of Americans supported making it easier to see a mental health professional via telehealth (video or phone), 76% supported making it easier to receive mental health care at their primary care office, and 75% supported funding mental health care professionals to work in rural or urban communities that are traditionally underserved. Full Story

Through a Request for Information, AHRQ invites comments to inform the development of a potential Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey to assess patient experience in inpatient mental healthcare settings. Specifically, AHRQ seeks comments by July 1 on methodologically sound survey and data collection approaches and any unique considerations or concerns associated with the collection and use of these data. Click here for more information.

The Nurse Staffing Think Tank – a diverse group of front-line nurses, nursing leaders and other key stakeholders including patient safety representative, CEO, CFO and Human Resources – has published a set of priorities and recommendations that provide immediate strategies that can be feasibly implemented in the short term (12-18 months) to help address the nurse staffing crisis. 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.