Happy Nurses Month and Mental Health Awareness Month!
It’s time to celebrate YOU! Find bonus FREE CE, insights from previous and current APNA presidents, and more! Celebrate with FREE CE

What’s going on with your fellow members?
APNA members are featured in the latest APNA Member News for their outstanding work in psychiatric-mental health nursing! Find out

Bestselling author Johann Hari to join APNA 38th Annual Conference as Keynote!
Selected by APNA President Lora Peppard for his gripping personal story featured in his book, “Lost Connections,” Hari will take APNA 38th Annual Conference attendees on an inspiring journey examining the power of connection through the lens of his own experiences with depression and anxiety. Find out more

How does your nurse luminary impact your practice?
For Anita Iyengar, a PMH nurse luminary is someone who gives their time and effort wholeheartedly to their profession. Who is this PMH Nurse Luminary?

CPI is cutting-edge, patient-centered, and invaluable — and right around the corner!
Register for the APNA 22nd Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute to earn up to 22.25 contact hours and discover the latest evidence-based approaches you will be able to apply right away. Register Today!

Engaging & essential: New APNA Transitions in Practice Certificate Program
APNA Transitions in Practice – a 15.25 contact-hour certificate program featuring an enhanced learning experience – delivers the latest evidence-based knowledge and skills crucial to providing psychiatric-mental health nursing care. Discover ATP & Register!

New APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program
Now 100% on demand and online to help increase confidence and competence in the nursing skills of suicide assessment, management, and prevention. Learn what to ask, who to tell, how to document, and what to do next. Take me to the program

APNA announces next JAPNA Editor
The APNA Board of Directors has appointed Michelle DeCoux Hampton, RN, PhD, MS as the incoming Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Read more about Hampton

APNA releases new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Issue Brief
This issue brief details how diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to any solution to address health disparities and critical to advancing whole health. View the issue brief

Share your news and be featured in APNA Monthly Member News
Received an award? Featured in an article? Been noticed for your research and scholarship? Or have another exciting achievement? Share your stories with APNA News!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced $46.8 million in notices of funding opportunities to promote youth mental health, grow the behavioral health workforce, improve access to culturally competent behavioral care across the country, and strengthen peer recovery and recovery support. Full Story

More than 6.5 million people worldwide in 2023 took a mental health screening test through the Mental Health America (MHA) online Prevention and Screening Program, with 79% of users located in the U.S. scoring positive for moderate to severe symptoms of a mental health condition. Rates of anxiety and risk for psychosis remain higher than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the ADHD screen overtook depression to become the most widely taken screen of 2023. Full Story

In the 2024 State of Nursing Report, 52% of nurses responded they were happy they chose the nursing profession in 2023, up from 36% in 2022. Job satisfaction improved from 2022 to 2023 with 46% of nurses replied they were satisfied at work in 2023 vs just 28% in 2022. Read the full report

The Joint Commission is launching a new Telehealth Accreditation Program for eligible hospitals, ambulatory and behavioral healthcare organizations, effective July 1, 2024. This accreditation program provides updated, streamlined standards to provide organizations offering telehealth services with the structures and processes necessary to help deliver safe, high-quality care using a telehealth platform. Full Story

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a Special Emphasis Notice (SEN) under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology (Health IT) funding opportunity for fiscal year 2024. ONC is seeking applications through this funding opportunity for projects that will accelerate adoption of health IT in behavioral health. This area of interest is focused on designing, developing, and piloting lightweight health IT solutions that can enhance health IT capabilities in behavioral health settings and improve care coordination between behavioral health and clinical healthcare settings. Full Story

NAMI released a new publication, Trends in Access to Mental Health Care State Policy. This issue brief provides highlights on state legislation passed in 2023 that will improve access to mental health care. Click here to access the publication.

U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens (D-MI) and U.S. Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH) introduced the Stop Nurse Shortages Act. The bill would create a grant program to help nursing schools create, expand, or support accelerated nursing degree programs to train those with an undergraduate degree in another field to be nurses. Full Story

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Michigan’s first mental health parity law May 21. The bipartisan legislation requires insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatments at the same level as physical health services. Full Story

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy) and accompanying Federal Action Plan. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance), led the development of these critical deliverables which support the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to address the overdose and mental health crises. Full Story

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new policy guidance and resources for states, tribes, territories and local early childhood programs to promote the mental health and wellness of children, families and the early care and education workforce. These new resources are tailored to recipients of ACF’s four early childhood funding streams: the Child Care and Development Fund, the Head Start program, the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five program and the Tribal Home Visiting Program. The administration provides a range of actionable recommendations, resources, and strategies to promote healthy child development and to integrate mental and behavioral health supports into early care and education programs where young children spend so much of their time. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of a national strategy, with recommendations developed by the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health, a subcommittee of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Women’s Services, to address the urgent public health crisis of maternal mental health and substance use issues. 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.