APNA News - The Psychiatric Nursing Voice

President's Message
Happy Holidays, APNA members! We’ve worked hard and accomplished a lot in 2012 so please enjoy a safe, pleasant and relaxing end to the year. Since this is my first column as APNA President I’d like to talk a little about my theme, which is “Leading change, advancing mental health.” (Cont'd)

Member Profile: Lyndsay Hill-Curran
Earlier this month Lyndsay Hill-Curran enjoyed a special Indianapolis Colts game. Nominated by her husband to receive recognition from the Colts Angels Anthem Program, Lyndsay was recognized on field for her extensive involvement in the community, which includes serving as President of the APNA Indiana Chapter this past year as well as volunteering weekly at the Indiana Women's Prison. It was the perfect way to honor an avid Colts fan for her extensive community service! (Cont'd)

Members in the News!
Lots of exciting news about APNA members this month - Check it out here!

Research Grants: Announcing the 2013 APNF Research Grants Program
The American Psychiatric Nursing Foundation recently announced its research grants program for the 2013 year. Up to five (5) individual grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to worthy new researchers. Submit an application by February 18, 2013 to be considered! Learn More & Download the App

Annual Conference: Recap, Survey, & Online Poster Gallery
We had a great time at the APNA 26th Annual Conference in Pittsburgh! Thanks to all of the over 1200 presenters and attendees for your part in making the conference a success - check out the pictures here. If you were unable to attend the conference, do not worry, sessions will be soon available in the APNA eLearning Center as podcasts and you can view the Poster Presentations in the Online Poster Gallery! In the meantime, here's a quick recap of what happened...(Cont'd)
Online Poster Gallery | Annual Conference Survey

Invitation to Review Draft Scope & Standards
Over the past year, a joint task force of APNA and ISPN members has worked on examining and updating the Scope & Standards. The document is now being made available to the public for comment. We invite you to review the draft and submit your feedback via our online form. Your feedback will be carefully reviewed and integrated as appropriate. All comments must be submitted by January 26, 2013. More Info

APNF: Special Message from Grayce Sills
I need your help! The APNF is continuing the fundraising campaign we began at the 2012 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. If every member contributed “a dime a day, two nickels or 10 pennies a day” - an annual contribution of $36.50 - we could make a significant impact on APNA and future initiatives benefiting our profession. This effort could yield a little breathing room for the Foundation…we could fund a History of APNA, up the Annual APNF Research Grants and make a compelling case for external support from industry and other organizations, plus other initiatives....(Cont'd)

JAPNA: Call for papers
The Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association is inviting papers for a focused issue of the journal that focus on a range of topics related to the emotional and behavioral health of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. Deadline for Submission: February 15, 2013 | More Info

LACE: A Message from the APNA President
APNA has worked with other nursing specialties to develop the APRN Consensus Model and the elements of it known as LACE (Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education). We continue to attempt to keep the membership informed as well as providing opportunities for input. We are aware of concerns and angst over this matter. (Cont'd)

Webinars on Upcoming CPT Code Changes
We recently emailed you about the webinars being prepared by APNA in collaboration with ANA to help psychiatric-mental health nurses prepare for the changes to the AMA Current Procedural Code (CPT) and the associated relative values used by the CMS in setting reimbursement fee schedules. We are pleased to let you know that these webinars are now available in the APNA eLearning Center – free to both members and nonmembers! More Info

The National Council for Behavioral Health invites mental health and addictions treatment organizations in the U.S. to apply to join a year-long learning community led by renowned national experts who will prepare you to adopt trauma-informed approaches to behavioral healthcare. Organizations that are in the early stages of implementing trauma-informed care, have already begun the process, or are looking for ways to enhance current trauma-informed care implementation are all encouraged to apply. The deadline is 12/21/2012 at 5pm EST. Click here to apply.

As the East Coast continues to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council) awarded emergency cash grants to 32 behavioral health organizations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island to assist with recovery efforts. Full Story

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing President Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, and CEO Geraldine “Polly” Bednash, PhD, RN, FAAN, issued a statement following the death of former Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye. Click here to read the statement.

SAMHSA and the American Red Cross have developed literature on coping with disasters during the holidays. Click here to view.

The National Council has updated its CPT Code website with new resources and materials to help providers navigate the January 2013 transition. Click here to visit the site.

Substance abuse treatment admissions for addiction involving combined use of benzodiazepine and narcotic pain relievers rose a total of 569.7%t, to 33,701, from 2000 to 2010, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Overall substance abuse treatment admissions of people ages 12 and older in the same period rose 4%, to 1.82 million. Full Story

An experimental vaccine on rats showed signs of blocking some of the intoxicating effects of methamphetamine, according to a study conducted by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. Full Story

SAMHSA issued a new federal rule to allow patients being treated through an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) to receive take-home supplies of buprenorphine from an OTP in a more flexible manner. Buprenorphine is a medication used in opioid addiction treatment. The regulation takes effect on January 7, 2013. Under the rule change, OTPs will be permitted to dispense buprenorphine to eligible patients without having to adhere to previous length of time in treatment requirements. Currently, OTPs require a person to be in treatment a certain amount of time before being given a multiple days' supply of medicine to take home. Full Story (PDF file)

For years, nurse practitioners in Minnesota have been able to see patients only in association with a licensed doctor. But a governor's task force says it's time to let those nurses work independently - in part, because of a coming shortage of primary care physicians. The proposal, which has been opposed by physician groups, was endorsed in the final report of the state Task Force on Health Reform, headed by Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. The report is expected to set the stage for a debate in the Legislature, which must approve any changes, reported StarTribune.com. Full Story

The House of Representatives voted 398-1 on December 5, 2012 to strike the term "lunatic" from all federal legislation, after the Senate did the same in May. The measure is designed to remove language that has become outdated or demeaning from the US code. The bill will now go to President Barack Obama for his signature, reported BBC. Full Story

The Department of Veterans Affairs is publishing a proposed regulation in the Federal Register that would change its rules to add five diagnosable illnesses which are secondary to service-connected Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Full Story

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Board of Trustees has approved the final diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The trustees’ action marks the end of the manual’s comprehensive revision process, which has spanned over a decade and included contributions from more than 1,500 experts in psychiatry, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, neurology, and other related fields from 39 countries. These final criteria will be available when DSM-5 is completed and published in spring 2013. Full Story (PDF)

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American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.