President’s Message 
Throughout my Presidency, we have focused on five key pillars of our profession - and how they help move whole health forward for individuals, families, and communities. As I write to you at the tail end of my presidency, here are the thoughts that I’d like to leave you with…Keep Reading 

Member News 
8 of your APNA colleagues were recognized this month for their outstanding work in PMH nursing, and 10 were named to the 2023 Class of American Academy of Nursing Fellows. View this month’s member news!

Telemental Health Toolkit: Virtual care information at your fingertips 
Virtual care, while reducing barriers to access, also has its own challenges, including patient confidentiality. But a new one-stop toolkit helps PMH nurses meet those challenges.  

It’s a Small World! Council & Chapter Meetups
Reimagined events at the APNA Annual Conference make it easier than ever to locate attendees with similar interests and make lasting connections. What can I expect?

APNA Endorses Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention
A call to action to support providers in advancing equitable youth suicide prevention strategies in all settings where youth live, learn, work, and spend time. See how this resource furthers youth suicide prevention efforts.

What changed? APNA Seclusion & Restraint Position Paper and Standards of Practice 
In a JAPNA discussion paper, members of the APNA Seclusion & Restraint Task Force summarize the updates made to the position paper and standards of practice regarding the use of seclusion and restraint. See what was updated... 

What Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses Need to Know About AI 
Georgia Reiner, a Risk Analyst at Nurses Service Organization (NSO), provides a basic understanding of AI, its applications in healthcare, and its risks. How can I use this in my practice? 

Meet the APNA Memorial Scholarship Recipients 
Congrats to the PMH-RNs committed to continuously improving their skills and knowledge base! See who took home the scholarship. 

FREE CE: Effective Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders 
In an era of opioids, fentanyl, and stimulants, these free on-demand modules cover the latest epidemiology, treatment options, and nursing strategies to assist individuals in their recovery. Earn contact hours & get the latest on treating OUD 

Register for Conference by 8/21 to Save 
Contact hours, connections, I.D.E.A.S., and more, all at a discounted rate when you register for the APNA 37th Annual Conference before August 21. 

A new report from The Bowman Family Foundation confirms that mental health care is far too hard to find, and for those who do find it, they end up going out of network for much of their treatment. The report, Equitable Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care: An Urgent Need, is based on a survey of 2,794 individuals conducted by NORC. The survey found challenges for adult-focused services, and even more challenges for youth in need of mental health care. Full Story Access the report here.

Roughly 3.7 million adults have a history of schizophrenia spectrum disorders ― a figure two to three times higher than previously assumed, according to the first study to estimate the national prevalence of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported MedScape. Full Story

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing awards in five grant programs devoted to combating multiple facets of substance use and the nation’s overdose epidemic. The grant awards total up to $47.8 million. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced the award of $31.5 million in behavioral health grants for children, youth and young adults. Full Story

NSO is hosting a webinar, Understanding the Nurse Practice Act: NCSBN’s Guide to Reducing Your Liability, on Aug. 18 at 3 pm ET. The presentation will focus on the basic principles of nursing regulation, the structure of the nurse practice act, its model act and rules, including the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), as well as an individual nurse’s responsibility to follow the nurse practice act. Click here to learn more and register.

NIAAA has launched a new resource, the Alcohol and Your Brain Virtual Reality (VR) Experience. This interactive activity is designed for teens (and adults) to learn about alcohol’s effects on five areas of the brain. The immersive experience simulates a rollercoaster ride weaving and bobbing its way through the human brain. Click here to access the resource.

The staffing and skills shortages in healthcare continues as inflation pressures mount, while roles focused on mental health are among the top 50 healthcare jobs in the U.S. The most in-demand position is a nurse, advertising 437,168 vacancies in June 2023, followed by nursing assistant (104,275 jobs) and specialized physician (55,378 jobs), reported HealthcareFinance.com. Full Story

Days before the one-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline becoming available nationwide, a new poll from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) finds most Americans (82%) are still not familiar with 988 — a resource to help people in mental health, substance use and suicide crises get connected to crisis support. Full Story

The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, launched Memory Care Certification for Assisted Living Communities (ALCs). The voluntary, specialty certification recognizes Joint Commission-accredited ALCs that meet its standards to support the delivery of high-quality care for residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Full Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration converted Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), indicated to treat adult patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, to traditional approval following a determination that a confirmatory trial verified clinical benefit. Leqembi is the first amyloid beta-directed antibody to be converted from an accelerated approval to a traditional approval for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug works by reducing amyloid plaques that form in the brain, a defining pathophysiological feature of the disease. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to expand access to behavioral health services through coverage of intensive outpatient services — an intermediate level of behavioral health care. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved proposals from California and Kentucky for community-based mobile crisis intervention teams to provide Medicaid crisis services. This marks six states that have expanded access to community-based mental health and substance use crisis care through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. California and Kentucky will be able to provide Medicaid services through mobile crisis teams by connecting eligible individuals in crisis to a behavioral health provider 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. Full Story

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a broader coverage for a type of brain scan, used to identify a key Alzheimer's disease protein, that will be needed for doctors to determine whether patients are eligible for newly developed drugs. The agency proposes to remove the once-per-lifetime limit on beta amyloid PET scans that restricted their use to clinical trials. The changes will permit Medicare beneficiaries to seek reimbursement for the tests, reported Reuters. Full Story

The Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the fourth edition of the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map. Healthy Brain Initiative: State and Local Road Map for Public Health, 2023-2027 provides public health officials throughout the nation with a set of strategies to promote brain health and improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and their caregivers. 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.