Letters from the CEO: June 2006
Dear Member,
It is mid-June and I'm writing this letter after returning from a SAMHSA Summit in Omaha that focused on the role of residential treatment in the children's mental health service system. It is an important subject and the experience was humbling. Family members talked about their continuing advocacy on behalf of their children, and several young adults described their years of treatment, all stories of tremendous hardship. But most striking to me was that even family leaders with access to the best information, whose children are supported by systems of care, continue to struggle, as do their children. It reminded me of the limits of our current treatments. Systems of care, although critical steps forward, are not sufficient to ease the burden of these families.
April and May were challenging yet exhilarating months for the National Council. The Annual Conference, Awards of Excellence celebration, Hill Day, and Spring Board Meeting each offered opportunities for members to connect with one another and with National Council staff on issues important to us and to the children, adults, and families that our members serve.
At the start of June, I had the good fortune to spend several days in Kansas City, Kansas, with state association leaders and CEOs from states in regions VI and VII. And next week I look forward to traveling to Texas for their annual conference. June for me, is a month of travel as well as a time to reflect on our progress before we begin planning for the National Council's next fiscal year that begins October 1, 2006.
Annual Conference and Awards of Excellence
Positive feedback about the 2006 Annual Conference in Orlando continues to come in from many of the more than 1,500 conference attendees, faculty, sponsors, and exhibitors. Jeannie Campbell was tireless as well as successful in her efforts to deliver a well-orchestrated conference that began the dialogue of where behavioral health is headed. The curriculum emphasized the importance for our industry of strong leadership, of considering mental health and addictions treatment as an integral part of general healthcare, and of applying the results of research to the real world. You will continue to hear more from the National Council in each of these areas.
Our first Awards of Excellence Dinner at the conference honored providers, families, and consumers for their outstanding contributions to raising the quality of care and awareness of behavioral health issues. It was a wonderful evening of celebration, and we already are working on next year's event. Please watch for the call for nominations for the 2007 awards, and take the time to read more about the honorees and their contributions at www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/Awards-of-Excellence.htm.
Planning has started for the National Council's 2007 conference, March 26-28, 2007 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Information about the Las Vegas conference and hotel registration is at www.nccbh.org/vegas and we encourage you to join many others who have already booked their rooms at the MGM Grand. The conference website will be updated regularly as planning moves forward.
2nd Annual Hill Day
More than 120 members joined us on May 3 to visit their senators and representatives on Capitol Hill and raise awareness of federal issues affecting community-based mental health and addictions treatment. Nearly 350 visits to Hill offices in a single day reinforced key policy messages (see www.nccbh.org/POLICY/annual-hill-day.htm for an overview of these messages).
Our Hill Day delegation included members from Washington D.C. and the states of Washington, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. There was strength in numbers as well as in the passion and commitment to bring hope and recovery to millions with mental illnesses and addiction disorders.
That passion and commitment culminated in a Hill reception highlighted by awards presented to the media and Congressional leaders. A special thanks to Pete Earley, a former Washington Post journalist and an author, who shared his personal story with the large group gathered for the reception. Pete is the author of Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness. He spoke eloquently of his son's mental illness and their experiences with the mental health and criminal justice system. Pete's thanks to community-based care for the help it afforded to his son gave meaning to the work you do.
Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representatives Steve Buyer (R-IN), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and Grace Napolitano (D-CA) received awards honoring their contributions in advancing the availability and quality of treatments for mental illnesses and addictions disorders. The State of Michigan and Robert Pear of The New York Times were also honored for their contributions.
Policy Successes-Mental Health Block Grant, SAMHSA, and Part D
The federal budget is being finalized and we have worked hard to influence budget report language. In the last two Congressional budget cycles, the National Council has truly harnessed your influence -- the power of our grassroots or as we sometimes say grasstops -- to drive a focused policy agenda. It is too early to claim victories but progress has been made.
Your advocacy -- whether through participation in Hill Day or responses to our calls for action -- has given the National Council's public policy staff the opportunity to drive significant legislative successes on your behalf.
The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved the following in voting on the budget bill that funds health services:
Next Step: Invite Your Senators and Representatives to Visit
The effectiveness of your visits and calls to the Hill is undeniable. There is a companion piece to this D.C. advocacy, inviting your Representatives and Senators to visit your center or agency during the August Congressional recess. Seeing what you do, meeting those you serve, and talking with your staff are powerful tools in making the case for access to adequately funded behavioral health services. Guidelines for scheduling and preparing for these visits are available on our website at www.nccbh.org/POLICY/policy.htm. If you need additional information or have questions, call Allison Fort at 301.984.6200, ext. 235 or email AllisonF@nccbh.org.
Introducing the National Council's State Pollicy Director
We are encouraging your increased federal advocacy and in turn we are increasing the National Council's resources to support your efforts. The Deficit Reduction Act gives states great flexibility in restructuring Medicaid services. This presents both opportunity and danger and will require vigilance and the ability to quickly share information and mobilize effective advocacy efforts. To assist our members in these activities we are pleased to announce that Tammy Seltzer will join us as Director of State Policy. She will be part of our policy team so ably led by Chuck Ingoglia. Tammy is an attorney and comes to us from the Bazelon Center. In addition to the coordination of federal and state policy, Tammy brings special expertise and interest in children and criminal justice issues. Tammy will start in late July, and we look forward to your getting to know her and to benefiting from her knowledge and experience.
Member Benefit
The National Council's goal is that the adults, children, and families in this country have access to the full array of adequately financed community-based behavioral health services of the highest quality. And our public policy advocacy efforts are coupled with a commitment to bringing you timely and helpful information and technical assistance resources in response to current and upcoming industry trends and topics
We encourage you to look to the National Council as a resource on issues of:
We offer an increasing array of member benefits on these topics, through our electronic and print newsletters, website, monthly Meet Me calls, E-learning courses, conference workshops, books, and consulting services. And of course our Member Listserve (see www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/listserve.htm) offers an unparalleled forum to engage with your peers and share valuable information and experiences.
You can review your member benefits at www.nccbh.org/WHO/Membership/benefits.htm. These membership benefits extend to your entire organization. We encourage you to share newsletters and communications with your staff. In fact, we will be happy to add your staff directly to our circulation lists. To tell us who in your organization should receive our emails, go to www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/newsletters-signup.htm. To add staff to the National Council News (print newsletter) circulation list or to ask about your member benefits, contact Kara Sweeney, Director of Membership at KaraS@nccbh.org or at 301.984.6200, ext.223.
Tell Us What Is and Isn't Working -- Take Our Quick Poll
As we work hard to keep our member benefits relevant and comprehensive, we need to hear from you. We can give you the best value for your membership dollars only with your feedback. Are we covering issues of importance to you? Are we delivering information and resources through the right channels and to the right persons? Please take a few moments and give us your feedback through the Member Benefits Quick Poll at www.nccbh.org.
And of course, I'd love to hear directly from you on any topic you'd like to talk about. You can reach me by email at LindaR@nccbh.org or call me at 301.984.6200, ext. 227.
Best regards,
Linda
It is mid-June and I'm writing this letter after returning from a SAMHSA Summit in Omaha that focused on the role of residential treatment in the children's mental health service system. It is an important subject and the experience was humbling. Family members talked about their continuing advocacy on behalf of their children, and several young adults described their years of treatment, all stories of tremendous hardship. But most striking to me was that even family leaders with access to the best information, whose children are supported by systems of care, continue to struggle, as do their children. It reminded me of the limits of our current treatments. Systems of care, although critical steps forward, are not sufficient to ease the burden of these families.
April and May were challenging yet exhilarating months for the National Council. The Annual Conference, Awards of Excellence celebration, Hill Day, and Spring Board Meeting each offered opportunities for members to connect with one another and with National Council staff on issues important to us and to the children, adults, and families that our members serve.
At the start of June, I had the good fortune to spend several days in Kansas City, Kansas, with state association leaders and CEOs from states in regions VI and VII. And next week I look forward to traveling to Texas for their annual conference. June for me, is a month of travel as well as a time to reflect on our progress before we begin planning for the National Council's next fiscal year that begins October 1, 2006.
Annual Conference and Awards of Excellence
Positive feedback about the 2006 Annual Conference in Orlando continues to come in from many of the more than 1,500 conference attendees, faculty, sponsors, and exhibitors. Jeannie Campbell was tireless as well as successful in her efforts to deliver a well-orchestrated conference that began the dialogue of where behavioral health is headed. The curriculum emphasized the importance for our industry of strong leadership, of considering mental health and addictions treatment as an integral part of general healthcare, and of applying the results of research to the real world. You will continue to hear more from the National Council in each of these areas.
Our first Awards of Excellence Dinner at the conference honored providers, families, and consumers for their outstanding contributions to raising the quality of care and awareness of behavioral health issues. It was a wonderful evening of celebration, and we already are working on next year's event. Please watch for the call for nominations for the 2007 awards, and take the time to read more about the honorees and their contributions at www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/Awards-of-Excellence.htm.
Planning has started for the National Council's 2007 conference, March 26-28, 2007 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Information about the Las Vegas conference and hotel registration is at www.nccbh.org/vegas and we encourage you to join many others who have already booked their rooms at the MGM Grand. The conference website will be updated regularly as planning moves forward.
2nd Annual Hill Day
More than 120 members joined us on May 3 to visit their senators and representatives on Capitol Hill and raise awareness of federal issues affecting community-based mental health and addictions treatment. Nearly 350 visits to Hill offices in a single day reinforced key policy messages (see www.nccbh.org/POLICY/annual-hill-day.htm for an overview of these messages).
Our Hill Day delegation included members from Washington D.C. and the states of Washington, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. There was strength in numbers as well as in the passion and commitment to bring hope and recovery to millions with mental illnesses and addiction disorders.
That passion and commitment culminated in a Hill reception highlighted by awards presented to the media and Congressional leaders. A special thanks to Pete Earley, a former Washington Post journalist and an author, who shared his personal story with the large group gathered for the reception. Pete is the author of Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness. He spoke eloquently of his son's mental illness and their experiences with the mental health and criminal justice system. Pete's thanks to community-based care for the help it afforded to his son gave meaning to the work you do.
Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representatives Steve Buyer (R-IN), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and Grace Napolitano (D-CA) received awards honoring their contributions in advancing the availability and quality of treatments for mental illnesses and addictions disorders. The State of Michigan and Robert Pear of The New York Times were also honored for their contributions.
Policy Successes-Mental Health Block Grant, SAMHSA, and Part D
The federal budget is being finalized and we have worked hard to influence budget report language. In the last two Congressional budget cycles, the National Council has truly harnessed your influence -- the power of our grassroots or as we sometimes say grasstops -- to drive a focused policy agenda. It is too early to claim victories but progress has been made.
Your advocacy -- whether through participation in Hill Day or responses to our calls for action -- has given the National Council's public policy staff the opportunity to drive significant legislative successes on your behalf.
The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved the following in voting on the budget bill that funds health services:
- The bill does not include the proposal in the President's FY 2007 budget to redirect $153 million from the mental health block grant for "transformation" activities such as infrastructure development. This protects federal funding for critical services. This was one of the key issues that members lobbied on during Hill Day visits and we are pleased that your voices were heard.
- The Committee has asked SAMHSA to produce a report outlining what SAMHSA has done in the last five years to provide technical assistance to community-based mental health provider organizations. This calls upon SAMHSA to regard community providers as important constituents in their efforts to transform the service system.The bill calls for 5% of the Medicare Part D education and outreach budget to be directed toward providing one-on-one pharmaceutical benefit counseling by "community mental health centers." While the details are to be determined, we are pleased at the small recognition for the hundreds of hours of uncompensated care that your staff spent in helping consumers transition to the new Medicare drug benefit.
- We are encouraged at this success in the House but the bill still needs to pass through the Senate and Conference Committee. The National Council will continue to need your strong advocacy to retain these gains in the final bill.
Next Step: Invite Your Senators and Representatives to Visit
The effectiveness of your visits and calls to the Hill is undeniable. There is a companion piece to this D.C. advocacy, inviting your Representatives and Senators to visit your center or agency during the August Congressional recess. Seeing what you do, meeting those you serve, and talking with your staff are powerful tools in making the case for access to adequately funded behavioral health services. Guidelines for scheduling and preparing for these visits are available on our website at www.nccbh.org/POLICY/policy.htm. If you need additional information or have questions, call Allison Fort at 301.984.6200, ext. 235 or email AllisonF@nccbh.org.
Introducing the National Council's State Pollicy Director
We are encouraging your increased federal advocacy and in turn we are increasing the National Council's resources to support your efforts. The Deficit Reduction Act gives states great flexibility in restructuring Medicaid services. This presents both opportunity and danger and will require vigilance and the ability to quickly share information and mobilize effective advocacy efforts. To assist our members in these activities we are pleased to announce that Tammy Seltzer will join us as Director of State Policy. She will be part of our policy team so ably led by Chuck Ingoglia. Tammy is an attorney and comes to us from the Bazelon Center. In addition to the coordination of federal and state policy, Tammy brings special expertise and interest in children and criminal justice issues. Tammy will start in late July, and we look forward to your getting to know her and to benefiting from her knowledge and experience.
Member Benefit
The National Council's goal is that the adults, children, and families in this country have access to the full array of adequately financed community-based behavioral health services of the highest quality. And our public policy advocacy efforts are coupled with a commitment to bringing you timely and helpful information and technical assistance resources in response to current and upcoming industry trends and topics
We encourage you to look to the National Council as a resource on issues of:
- Leadership and workforce development -- recruitment and retention, continuing education and training, compensation trends, peer employees.
- Corporate compliance, waivers, services under the Medicaid rehabilitation option, Medicare billing, business practices, and operations management.
- Recovery based clinical practices -- core competencies, evidence-based practices, trauma informed treatment, person-centered planning, continuity of care.
- Quality improvement processes -- SPQM and data-driven decision making, outcomes evaluation, learning collaboratives.
- Information technology and the Electronic Health Record.
- Implementation and funding of cross system collaborations -- children's systems of care, mental health, addictions treatment, primary care, and criminal justice.
We offer an increasing array of member benefits on these topics, through our electronic and print newsletters, website, monthly Meet Me calls, E-learning courses, conference workshops, books, and consulting services. And of course our Member Listserve (see www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/listserve.htm) offers an unparalleled forum to engage with your peers and share valuable information and experiences.
You can review your member benefits at www.nccbh.org/WHO/Membership/benefits.htm. These membership benefits extend to your entire organization. We encourage you to share newsletters and communications with your staff. In fact, we will be happy to add your staff directly to our circulation lists. To tell us who in your organization should receive our emails, go to www.nccbh.org/SERVICE/newsletters-signup.htm. To add staff to the National Council News (print newsletter) circulation list or to ask about your member benefits, contact Kara Sweeney, Director of Membership at KaraS@nccbh.org or at 301.984.6200, ext.223.
Tell Us What Is and Isn't Working -- Take Our Quick Poll
As we work hard to keep our member benefits relevant and comprehensive, we need to hear from you. We can give you the best value for your membership dollars only with your feedback. Are we covering issues of importance to you? Are we delivering information and resources through the right channels and to the right persons? Please take a few moments and give us your feedback through the Member Benefits Quick Poll at www.nccbh.org.
And of course, I'd love to hear directly from you on any topic you'd like to talk about. You can reach me by email at LindaR@nccbh.org or call me at 301.984.6200, ext. 227.
Best regards,
Linda
