President's Message: See you in November!
Can you believe that in a little over a month we will be in Pittsburgh for the APNA 26th Annual Conference?! Our theme this year, Fighting Stigma, is one that is close to my heart. As my distinguished friend Mr. Phil Handy has told you, we have three exciting keynotes to look forward to, all of whom have been instrumental in fighting stigma in its various forms. (Cont'd)

Member Profile: Madeline Naegle, PhD, CNS, PMH-BC, FAAN
Dr. Madeline Naegle, Professor and Coordinator of the Substance Related Disorders Sequence at the New York University College of Nursing, provided the impetus for APNA's most recent position paper endorsing the adoption of SBIRT into all clinical settings. In concert with the APNA Board of Directors, a position on SBIRT was adopted and the position paper, which was released today, drafted. (Cont'd)

Position Paper: Adoption of SBIRT
As a part of our commitment to health and wellness promotion, APNA has issued a position paper in support of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) health approach. Approved by the APNA Board of Directors on September 11, 2012, the position paper states that the implementation of this evidence-based approach will facilitate and standardize screening and early intervention practices in psychiatric-mental health nursing. Further, adopting this intervention has the potential to reduce population risk for medical and psychiatric illnesses subsequent to excess alcohol consumption.
SBIRT Position Paper | Press Release

Member News: Your Colleagues in the News!
Linda Gable-Gaston, Laura Leahy, President Marlene Nadler-Moodie, and Barbara Reynolds Caldwell quoted in Nurse.com articles; Bernadette Melnyk appointed to the Center for Disease Control's Laboratory Medicine Best Practices Work Group; Jill Petersen recognized by the 100 Great Nurses in Iowa Program; Donna Poole appointed to Washington state's Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission; Secretary Diane Wieland receives the 2012 Distinguished Nurse of the Year Award from Pennsylvania State Nurses Association. More Info

Chapter News: The First Chapter Summit
Remember the survey we recently sent out asking for your thoughts on chapters? This past Saturday, APNA held its first Chapter Summit, using your survey responses to inform a brainstorming session on how the APNA chapter system can best meet your needs and further our profession. Past and current APNA chapter presidents, members of the Board of Directors, and members from across the country met in Falls Church, Virginia to discuss possible strategies and structures that can be put in place. A huge number of exciting and innovative ideas were shared...and the conversation continues! A preliminary report is expected to be shared with APNA Chapter Presidents at the Annual Conference.

Continuing Education: Free CE for National Recovery Month
There are only five days left to celebrate National Recovery Month with free continuing education in the APNA eLearning Center! In the podcast Recovery Perspectives on Medication, consumers share their personal perspectives on the use of psychiatric medications. Originally presented at the APNA 9th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute, the content of this CNE pertains to psychopharmacology and offers the opportunity to earn up to 1.0 contact hours.
Recovery Perspectives on Medications Podcast

Mentor Match: Connect with Mentors or Mentees!
We are excited to have just launched APNA Mentor Match, a brand new Member Bridge program that helps connect prospective mentors with prospective mentees. We created this program in response to numerous member requests - both from members looking for opportunities to mentor other PMH nurses and from members looking for ways to further their professional development by working with a mentor. Many members have already enrolled and are looking to connect - you could be the mentor or mentee that they're looking for!
APNA Mentor Match

Annual Conference: HANDy Updates
Mr. Phil Handy wants you to know all about the great line-up of speakers we have coming to the APNA 26th Annual Conference this year. He also is really looking forward to shaking your hand in Pittsburgh, so keep an eye out for him while you're there! There's lots more to get excited about: the premier of a video that features an interview with Grayce Sills; posters will be available for longer periods and will carry additional CE contact hours; and then there are the superb educational program and a fun tailgate party at Heinz Field to look forward to!
Annual Conference Program | Update from Phil Handy | Register Now!

SAMHSA Voice Awards: APNA Helps Spotlight Recovery
The SAMHSA Voice Awards were held this past August 23rd at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. APNA was a program partner of the event, which honors consumers/peer leaders, television and film producers who educate the public through their art about individuals recovering from mental illness and substance abuse. Their work serves to highlight the "lived experience" of individuals in recovery in a dignified and accurate portrayal, bringing it into the mainstream media. (Cont'd)

APNA Headquarters: We've Moved!
We have a new office! For the past several years, the APNA National Office's home was at 1555 Wilson Boulevard, just outside of the District of Columbia in Arlington, Virginia. But in August of this year, our lease was up and it was time to reassess our location. A growing staff to keep up with our growing association meant that we needed more space. In addition, our office technology was very outdated - we needed to upgrade. (Cont'd)

Resource Roundup: Recent Additions to the APNA Resource Center

• Recovery Resources: Free Webinar from SAMHSA - Peer-Driven Innovations: Changing Systems, Changing Lives; 9/27/12
• Military & PTSD Resources: DCoE September 27 Webinar - Managing Suicide Behavior; Clinical support tools to treat dizziness symptoms associated with TBI from DCoE; New program from the VA - About Face
• RN-PMH Resources: Mental Health Environment of Care Checklist from the VA; Deposition Video for Nursing Professionals
• APPN Resources: AHRQ Report on 13 second-generation antidepressants
• Integrated Care Resources: New research shows collaborative chronic care models work; Report and issue brief from SAMHSA's Center for Integrated Health Solutions
• Health Care Reform Involvement: Support of Keeping All Students Safe Act
• Substance Use Resources: SAMHSA Report - Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

New Members: 471 new members since July!

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (DoD) are investing more than $100 million in research to improve diagnosis and treatment of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). On Aug. 31, the President signed an executive order to improve access to mental health services for Veterans, Service members and military families. As part of that executive order, the President directed the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to develop a National Research Action Plan that will include strategies to improve early diagnosis and treatment effectiveness for TBI and PTSD. He further directed the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive mental health study with an emphasis on PTSD, TBI, and related injuries to develop better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options. Full Story

A new mobile app "Psychological First Aid" or "PFA Mobile," supports providers and other response workers who provide psychological care to adults, families and children affected by natural or man-made disasters and emergencies. Developed through a collaborative effort among the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), the app was designed to meet the challenges faced by first responders by making information and resources associated with response efforts readily accessible to them. Full Story

Seventy-five percent of people with dementia and 64% of caregivers believe there are negative associations for those diagnosed with dementia in their countries, according to a survey fielded by Alzheimer's Disease International and published today in the World Alzheimer Report 2012: Overcoming the Stigma of Dementia. Full Story

Even though countless studies show that psychotherapy helps people living with depression and anxiety, drug therapy has become the most popular course of treatment over the past decade. The American Psychological Association (APA) is hoping to balance that trend with an initiative launched Sept. 24, 2012 that will educate consumers about psychotherapy's effectiveness and encourage them to ask their physicians about it as a treatment option. Full Story

Major changes to the codes in the psychiatry section of the AMA's manual on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) - the codes used for billing and documentation for all insurers - will go into effect on January 1, 2013. In an interview with Psychiatric News, Musher said a persistent overarching concern has been that the codes commonly used by psychiatrists have primarily consisted of psychotherapy with evaluation and management (E/M) codes (for example, 90805, 90807), which have minimal work attributed to the E/M component, and a fixed low-level medication management code (90862). This "one size fits all" approach doesn't reflect the complexity of work that clinicians actually do with many of their patients. Full Story

National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) has released the second in a series of 12 reports under the auspices of the "NASMHPD Cornerstones for Behavioral Healthcare Resource Series" initiative - Taking Integration to the Next Level: The Role of New Service Delivery Models in Behavioral Health. Click here to download the report.

On World Suicide Prevention Day, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) released an ambitious national strategy to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. The strategy was called for by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates when they launched the Action Alliance on Sept. 10, 2010. The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a report from the U.S. Surgeon General and the Action Alliance, details 13 goals and 60 objectives for reducing suicides over the next 10 years. Full Story

In honor of Suicide Prevention Week, Sept 9-15, the National Council has released the latest issue of its magazine, which is devoted to suicide prevention. Hear from the experts as well those with compelling personal stories. Click here to download the magazine. Additionally, the National Council created a new infographic, "Suicide in America." Click here to view.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is Accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.