Legislative

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the House voted 220-215 to approve its version of healthcare reform legislation. The House healthcare reform bill includes many provisions supporting mental health and substance use treatment, including an expansion of Medicaid eligibility up to 150% of FPL (includes childless adults), an extension of the federal Medicaid aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act until June 2011, and requirements that all health plans offer mental health and substance use treatment benefits. The momentum for healthcare reform has now shifted to the Senate. Full Story

Behavioral Health Central interviewed Mental Health America's Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, Kirsten Beronio, to gather input on the question: What do the healthcare reform bills on the Congressional table have to say about behavioral healthcare? Full Story

A group of Democratic and Republican Senators has introduced legislation to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders. The bill, known as the ENHANCED Act (S. 1857), is sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), George Voinovich (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Kerry (D-MA), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). In addition to establishing centers of excellence, it also authorizes federal support for the development of evidence-based treatment standards and clinical guidelines for improving the detection of depression and bipolar disorder. The bill provides further support to individuals with these disorders by establishing resources for professional education and training and the reduction of the stigma associated with mood disorders. Click here to read the bill. (PDF file)

Issues & Events

The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) and the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) announced the priorities for a unified, international research agenda supporting nursing certification. The priority projects focus on linking certification and patient outcomes, continuing competence, and the critical thinking skills of certified nurses. Full Story (PDF file) A detailed outline of the Nursing Certification and Competency Summit and outcomes is available by clicking here.

To find out more about a 3-year study testing the efficacy of 6 core strategies to prevent violence and the use of seclusion and restraints Medscape Nurses interviewed APNA Annual Conference presenter Kevin Huckshorn, RN, MSN, CADC, ICRC, Director, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Delaware Health and Social Services. The 6 core strategies are leadership organization principles in effective change, the public health prevention approach, use of recovery and resiliency principles, valuing consumer and staff self-reports, trauma-informed care, and the ability to take risks to ensure individualized treatment. Click here to read the interview. (Free registration required)

Americans do not believe they know much about depression, but are highly aware of the risks of not receiving care, according to a survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The survey provides a "three dimensional" measurement of responses from members of the general public who do not know anyone with depression, caregivers of adults diagnosed with depression and adults actually living with the illness. Full Story Click here to view the survey results.

While the Veterans Mental Health Act was signed into law more than a year ago, a new survey by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare finds that veterans still face significant barriers to accessing mental health and substance use treatment. Almost two-thirds of respondents said veterans and their families experience long delays to get initial appointments for people in crisis and excessive waits in between appointments. Full Story

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the Arizona Center for Law in Public Interest filed a motion Nov. 13 to enforce the settlement agreement in J.K. v. Gerard. According to the filing, the advocates charge that the state of Arizona has not taken the steps to which it agreed were necessary to transform its children's behavioral health system, and is therefore failing to "protect the right of Arizona's Medicaid-eligible children to receive necessary mental health and substance abuse services." Full Story

Policy

A new report shows that school districts participating in the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative substantially improved the safety of their students. According to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over a three-year period, school districts participating in the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant program reported fewer students involved in violent incidents, decreased levels of experienced and witnessed violence, and improvements in overall school safety and violence prevention. Full Story

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a letter to state health officials providing guidance on the implementation of the mental health parity requirements in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. Among other requirements, the letter specifies that CHIP plans must fully comply with the Wellstone-Domenici Parity Act, and Medicaid programs must comply only if the state contracts with managed care or prepaid health plans. Click here to read the letter (PDF file)

APNA Highlights

APNA Announces Member Bridge!
APNA is excited to announce the launch of a special member communication tool called Member Bridge. It is part of the APNA website and gives each of you the ability to communicate with all the members of APNA.

Member Bridge allows you to :

• Participate in discussions that will shape psychiatric-mental health nursing
• Communicate directly with your fellow members
• Initiate your own community of interest and create a network with others who have similar interests as yours
• Upload virtually any type of file to share with others (for which you have copyright permission or ownership) and download information posted by others
• Start your own blog

Click here for our Getting Started Guide.

Exciting New APNA Online Educational Programs
CPI Online
Twelve sessions were captured at the 7th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute in June 2009 and are now available for you to view online, and earn contact hours! Click here for more information on these sessions.

APNA Webinars
Two archived sessions add to our resources for general practice psychiatric nurses. View them online and earn contact hours! They are:
• Maintaining Safety in Inpatient Units - More Info
• Delirium, Dementia, and Depression - More Info

Check www.apna.org/APNAwebinars for the latest information on APNA online CE offerings. We look forward to providing more of these opportunities in the future.