Celebrate your 2024 APNA Annual Awards recipients
The APNA Annual Awards recognize APNA members who demonstrate excellence in psychiatric-mental health nursing practice, education, research, leadership, community efforts, and more. Recipients were recognized at the recent APNA Annual Conference. Meet the recipients

JAPNA updates: new Associate Editor, new special collection,
and call for papers

• Angel Johann Solorzano Martinez, PhD, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, CNS, PMHNP-BC has been named by the APNA Board of Directors as the incoming Associate Editor for JAPNA
• Access a new online library of JAPNA substance use articles
• Papers are due by Dec. 1 for a special issue of JAPNA on the topic of workplace violence

Expand your skills with the APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program
This interactive training will increase your confidence and competence in the nursing skills of suicide assessment, management, and prevention. Get evidence-based nursing knowledge and best practices developed by leading experts to improve the skills, attitudes, and critical thinking of psychiatric-mental health nurses caring for persons at risk for suicide. Learn more and register

Be recognized in APNA Member News!
Received an award? Featured in an article? Or want to share another exciting achievement? Send your stories to APNA News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) capsules for oral use for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. It is the first antipsychotic drug approved to treat schizophrenia that targets cholinergic receptors instead of dopamine receptors. Full Story

The American Nurses Foundation, in partnership with the United Health Foundation (UHF), announced the official launch of the free curriculum Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support. The full program curriculum is a free resource available to all nurses. It includes a training guide for nurse leaders, an implementation guide, and the complete course, all of which provides continuing education credits for nurses. Full Story

New research finds that adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have high rates of comorbid mental and substance use disorders and significant social and economic disadvantages, and only 26% received minimally adequate treatment. Meeting the needs of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders will require innovative interventions and implementation to improve access to and use of evidence-based approaches, according to the research published in Psychiatric Services in Advance. Full Story

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) announced the upcoming launch of its new credential, Well-Being Excellence™. This new credential is designed to assess and enhance well-being programs within health care organizations and settings that employ nurses. Using an evidence-based framework, this unique credential assesses the effectiveness of efforts, initiatives, and approaches to improve the well-being of nurses and diverse teams. Full Story

The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act were both signed into law by President Biden. The NAPA Act reauthorizes the National Alzheimer’s Project Act through 2035 to provide a roadmap for federal efforts in responding to Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act ensures scientists speak directly to Congress on resources they need to effectively treat the disease. Full Story

The Federal Communications Commission approved rules requiring all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting for 988 Lifeline calls. These rules will facilitate access to the 988 Lifeline’s local intervention services by requiring wireless providers to implement georouting solutions to route 988 calls to local crisis centers based on the geographic area associated with the origin of a 988 call while protecting the privacy needs of the caller. Full Story

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Mental Health America (MHA) are joining forces to advance policies and programs promoting integrated behavioral healthcare in Community Health Centers for children and adolescents. The formal partnership will support the integration of behavioral healthcare into primary care through policies that will improve financing, national and state agency support, and programmatic efforts including screening, web-based follow-up materials after screening, and digital assistance. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recently awarded $68.5 million in grants that support behavioral health education, training and community programs to help address mental health and substance use conditions. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced more than $1.5 billion in awards for fiscal year 2024 State Opioid Response (SOR), Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) and SOR/TOR Technical Assistance grants. The grant funding supports evidence-based and holistic practices that address the overdose crisis through prevention; harm reduction, including naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications; treatment, including use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD); and recovery supports. 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.