National Council Behavioral Health Hive
December 11th, 2012

Featured Resource
In the News
Hall of Honor
Member Spotlight
Where in the USA is National Council Staff?
Working Hard for the Money
Happenings Around the Hive
Integration Station
Health IT Update
And in Other News

Featured Resource

Apply Now! Treatment Planning for Person-Centered Care Workshop

The National Council, in partnership with Optum, is accepting applications for the Treatment Planning for Person-Centered Care workshops.  This workshop offering will be provided at no cost and will help participants build skills and establish processes needed for a solid recovery and resiliency oriented practice focused on person-centered care. The workshop will include two days of in-person experiential training from internationally-recognized experts - Neal Adams and Diane Grieder - plus follow up telephonic consultations to help reinforce the person-centered planning approach.

Are you a clinician who provides services and develops recovery plans in a variety of settings, or do you serve in a supervisory role and can act as a change agent? Then this training is for you! Participants who attend the trainings will gain:
 

• Enhanced understanding of Person-Centered Treatment in comparison to traditional treatment approaches
• Increased understanding of the use of the Person-Centered process as a means for empowering individuals in mental health recovery and whole-person wellness

• Direct understanding of the role of shared decision-making as a component of Person-Centered Treatment

• Expanded understanding of skills for Person-Centered Care, including: identification of strengths and abilities in addition to the needs and challenges of each individual

Only 60 participants from 30 organizations will be selected for each of the three workshops offered in 2013, so reserve your spot now! Check out the application deadlines below:
 

• January 29-30, 2013, Overland Park, KS - applications are due no later than December 19, 2012
• April 18-19, 2013, Seattle, WA -  applications are due no later than March 22, 2013
• June 6-7, 2013, Hartford, CT -  applications are due no later than May 10, 2013

Interested organizations must complete both pages of the application and submit the completed application to Kirsten Reed at KirstenR@thenationalcouncil.org.

For additional information about this opportunity and the application process, please contact Optum at (877) 614-0484, Kirsten Reed at KirstenR@thenationalcouncil.org, or check out our FAQs page.    

2013 Conference Hub
Join us in Las Vegas April 8-10, 2013

Special Discount Expires Dec. 30th
What can you expect at the National Council’s 43rd Annual Mental Health and Addictions Conference?
 

• Over 3,000 healthcare professionals, advocates and innovators
• 300 dynamite speakers, including Atul Gawande and Doris Kearns Goodwin
• 125 sessions, covering everything from health technology to professional development

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to receive $50 off your conference registration! But hurry, the discount offer expires on December 30th. For more details check out our printable conference brochure and share with your networks.

In the News

Rebecca Farley Expresses Concerns over EHB Proposed Federal Rule 
In last week’s issue of Mental Health Weekly, the National Council’s Director of Policy and Advocacy shared some common concerns among the behavioral health community regarding the lack of specificity in the Essential Health Benefits proposed federal rule. There is concern over how much flexibility health plans will have in complying with the ten mandated coverage categories, most importantly the one covering mental health and substance use disorders.  Ms. Farley said that she hopes to see “more guidance from HHS on how it will be determined whether a plan’s service mix achieves balance and does not discriminate against persons with disabilities or significant healthcare needs.” The concern is that the lack of detail in the proposed rule may result in coverage options that do not adequately meet the needs of individuals with mental health and addiction disorders. Follow the National Council’s blog for more information about Essential Health Benefits and the proposed federal rule.

Where in the USA is National Council Staff?

December 17 – Multiple National Council staff are heading to New York City on Monday to attend the Geriatric Technical Assistance Center learning community. Jeff Capobianco, Joan King, Nina Marshall, and Aaron Surma will be facilitating/presenting at the meeting next week.

Larry Fricks
November 28 – December 2 – Larry was with Hannah Mason in Ogden, UT, earlier this month to conduct a Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) training. 

Bryan Gibb
December 4 – Last week, Bryan trained the onsite Residential Staff of the United States Senate Page program in the National Council’s new Youth Mental Health First Aid program! The 100-year-old page program brings high school juniors to Washington for 5 months where they live in a residence hall, take classes and work on the Senate floor.
December 14 – Bryan will be teaming up with Capt. Joseph Coffey of the Warwick, RI Police Department to present the National Council’s new Public Safety Mental Health First Aid USA module to the New York City Police Department leadership on Friday. As the National Council has done in DC and Philadelphia, the goal is to begin training NYC Police Officers in Mental Health First Aid in the early Spring of 2013.

Mike Lardiere
December 19 – Mike is in Kentucky next week with the state Health Information Exchange to present and then film his presentations for the Kentucky University Central website.

Kathy Reynolds
December 6 – Kathy was in Michigan last week presenting at the Michigan Primary Care Association/Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards Integration Summit. 
December 10 – Yesterday she was in Cincinnati assisting a behavioral health organization in becoming a health home.    

Linda Rosenberg
December 13 – She is then heading to CT to present at the Connecticut Community Providers’ Association Annual Meeting.

Cheryl Sharp
December 10 – Cheryl was in Idaho Falls, ID, yesterday to facilitate a five-day WRAP® Facilitator’s Training with Gina Calhoun, Director of Education and Training for The Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery for the Bonneville County Wood Pilot Project, a jail diversion and peer mentoring program.

Working Hard for the Money

VA Supportive Services Grants for Veteran Families
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of $300,000,000 for up to 450 supportive services grants under the SSVF Program. Under the SSVF program, VA awards grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives who will coordinate or provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families living in or transitioning to permanent housing. Grantees will be expected to leverage supportive services grant funds to enhance the housing stability of very low-income Veteran families who are occupying permanent housing. Grantees will be required to establish relationships with local community resources. Applications must be received by February 1, 2013. Learn more here.

Happenings Around the Hive

Your Input is Needed: Survey on New Behavioral Health Treatment Technologies
The National Council, in collaboration with the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, is seeking input from clinical leaders and clinicians about the use of new web-based and mobile technologies to deliver behavioral healthcare. The purpose of the survey is to explore how the National Council can help members prepare for the future by incorporating new treatment tools and technologies into practice. Your answers to the survey will help us tailor our initiatives to your needs. If you have questions or want to learn more about new treatment technologies, please contact Mike Lardiere at MikeL@thenationalcouncil.org or call 202.684.7457, ext 273.

WRAP Around the World Conference: Discount for National Council Members
The National Council is pleased to promote the WRAP Around the World Conference 2012! Cheryl Sharp, Special Advisor for Trauma-Informed at the National Council, will be giving a workshop at the conference on trauma. The conference will bring together people in recovery, peer specialists, professionals, and supporters. Learn more about how WRAP works with kids, veterans, healing trauma, people with addictions, transition age youth, and for people from a multitude of different cultures. Good news for National Council members, the first 100 members to register will get a $75 discount on the registration fee, so be sure to register now! For more information about the WRAP Around the World Conference, visit the registration page on our website, where you can sign up for WRAP Facilitator Refresher credit, dinner with Mary Ellen Copeland and other keynote presenters, book your lodging, and more.

Upcoming Webinars

The National Council will be hosting the following webinars in the next few weeks:

• HIT Strategic Planning and Implementation: Guided Tours: Part 3 of 3 – Monday, December 17th, 2013 , 2 – 3:30 pm ET

Learn more about upcoming National Council webinars here.
Miss a webinar? You can access the recordings and slide presentations from past webinars here.

Integration Station

e-Solutions Explores Health Homes 
The latest issue of CIHS’s e-Solutions features all things health homes! The December issue includes a multitude of articles on Medicaid Health Homes and care coordination in the states, quick tips on becoming a health home, and a feature on PBHCI grantee San Mateo County Health System (CA) and their work on care coordination for dually eligible individuals. e-Solutions is the monthly electronic newsletter of the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions, providing news and perspectives on primary care and behavioral health integration. Be sure to subscribe to e-Solutions for the latest and greatest in bi-directional integration.

Rural Obesity Prevention Toolkit
The Rural Assistance Center has released the Rural Obesity Prevention Toolkit! This resource contains eight modules which concentrate on different aspects of obesity prevention programs. Modules also include resources to use in developing a program for your area and provide best practices developed by successful obesity prevention programs that have been implemented in clinical, school, and community settings.

New from CDC: Sortable Risk Factors and Health Indicators Stats
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control has created a new data resource. Sortable Stats is an interactive data set comprised of behavioral risk factors and health indicators. The data set compiles state level data for the 50 states, DC, and U.S. territories from various published CDC and federal sources into a format that allows users to view, sort, and analyze data at state, regional, and national levels. This tool is intended to serve as a resource in the promotion of policy, system, and environmental changes.

Upcoming Webinar on Rural Tobacco Reduction Strategies
Next Wednesday, December 19th, from 2:30 – 4 pm ET, CADCA will present a webinar session on tobacco prevention and control:  The Coalition Story: Rural Tobacco Reduction Strategies for Rural & Low SES Populations. The purpose of the webinar is to highlight the evidence-based strategies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and provide the coalition case study as a model for implementing those strategies in rural and low SES populations to reduce tobacco use. Participants are highly encouraged to ask questions and provide personal feedback at the end of the speaking segment of the webinar. Register now to participate on the webinar.

Health IT Update

2012 ONC Annual Meeting: A Meaningful Foundation for the Future of Healthcare
Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 12th, is the 2012 ONC Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. There will be hundreds of key stakeholders on hand including doctors, patients, techies, policymakers and health IT gurus. Not located in DC? No problem. You can join the meeting directly from your office. Through webcasting, anyone can tune into the meeting featuring National Coordinator Farzad Mostashari, the White House's Chief Technology Officer Todd Park, Dan Kraft, MD, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA). Join the webcast tomorrow and follow all the action on Twitter (#ONC2012) and ongoing discussions on the LinkedIn page.

Upcoming Webinar on Patient Engagement Principles for MU Stage III
On Thursday, December 13th, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm ET, eHealth Initiative will host a webinar in conjunction with Healthwise on how the principles of patient engagement in stage 2 of Meaningful Use, will help prepare providers to meet the upcoming challenges with stage 3. One of the core components in the second phase of Meaningful Use regulations was the need to actively engage patients in their health. The use of health information technology is a mechanism for patients to view their medical information in order to become more educated and empowered consumers of health. Space is filling up so be sure to register in advance for the webinar.

Upcoming Webinar on Implementing HIE in the LTPAC Community
This Friday, December 14th, from 11:30 – 12:45 ET, the AHIMA Foundation will provide a brief overview of industry and government influences shaping the direction and requirements for HIE in the LTPAC setting; information on current demonstration projects and programs for HIE; and practical tools and resources for implementing HIE; and will outline the challenges for further implementation. Targeted specifically at state agencies and HIE organizations, Q and A sessions will allow participants to discuss issues and concerns applicable to their programs. Register for free to reserve your spot. You can also access previous webinar recordings on the topic through the AHIMA Foundation website.

Major Change at Anasazi – Now Cerner Anasazi
In a press release on November 8, 2011 Cerner Corporation announced it would acquire Anasazi Software.  Changes such as these often raise concerns from our members about continuity of the product and ongoing support. Michael Lardiere, the National Council’s VP HIT & Strategic Development spoke with Mike Morris CEO of Cerner Anasazi and Mr. Morris wanted to stress that Cerner Anasazi will continue to meet all of its current client commitments and continue to provide support to its Anasazi customers.  They are actually looking forward to the opportunity to provide additional services as Cerner Anasazi to support their clients.  If you have questions for Anasazi please contact Mike Morris CEO at mmorris@anasazisoftware.com.

And in Other News...

Employer Guide for MH Parity Compliance
There is a lot of confusion around the implementation regulations of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Group health plans that cover more than 50 employees must provide mental health and substance use disorders coverage at parity with medical/surgical benefits. But the confusion around implementation and requirements can make compliance a challenging task. The Partnership for Workplace Mental Health has developed a guide to help employers ensure compliance by their health plan vendors. Download the employer guide for more information. 

2013 International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership Exchange
The International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership has announced a set of matches for their Leadership Exchange in the new year. The holidays are just around the corner, and in order to ensure adequate time to connect the Hosts and Visitors, time is of the essence!

IIMHL provides an international infrastructure to identify and exchange information about effective leadership, management and operational practices in the delivery of mental health services. The aim of the exchange is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise on the peer workforce and promote consumer leadership. The matches, in New Zealand and Australia, include Innovation in Action (NZ), Being an Innovative Community Health Organization in the 21st Century (NZ), and Services to Veterans and Their Families (AUS). Register now to reserve your spot and get more information about the matches.

Network for Social Work Management's 24th Annual Management Institute
Join the Network for Social Work Management on May 16 and 17, 2013, in Newark , NY, for This international conference. The institute will examine the roles of leadership, strategic planning, resource management, community partnership and international collaboration in successful human services delivery. Chuck Ingoglia, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Practice Improvement at the National Council, will be speaking at the conference. In addition to plenary sessions, invitational presentations, and workshops, attendees will also have ample opportunities to network with human services managers, researchers, practitioners and students from around the world both at the conference venue and at social gatherings offsite. Check out the conference website for more information.   

NAMI Webinar on Essential Health Benefits
The new health law (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) makes federally subsidized private health insurance available to individuals and small employers. The law also requires plans to cover ten categories of care, known as Essential Health Benefits (EHB). The recently released federal proposed rules for Essential Health Benefits (EHB) will affect how individual and small group plans in every state will cover health, mental health and addictions care. Some of the proposed rules are helpful; others are not. Join the webinar on Friday, December 14th, from 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET, to learn more about the rules and what they mean for mental health care. Reserve your space on the webinar now.

Online Toolkit: Eliminate Disparities and Enhance Mental Health Service Delivery to Hispanics
The National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health (NRCHMH) recently published an online toolkit, Enhancing Mental Health Service Delivery to Hispanics: An Online Toolkit for Eliminating Disparities. This resource consists of various print, video and audio resources designed to assist mental health agency administrators and their governing leadership, as well as direct service providers, to best attract, engage and serve Hispanics in a culturally and linguistically competent manner. When utilized collectively, the resources can serve as valuable tools for eliminating the array of disparities that exist for Hispanics in need of mental health care by increasing understanding of the importance of addressing cultural competence to meet the needs of Hispanics.

Briefing Video Medicaid Expansion: What’s at Stake for the States?
A few weeks ago, the Alliance for Health Reform held a briefing - Medicaid Expansion: What’s at Stake for the States? Following the Supreme Court’s decision this summer on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the nation’s governors and state leaders face the choice to participate or opt out of the Medicaid expansion. John Holahan, director of the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute, discussed his updated report on the Medicaid expansion and costs to states, including coverage considerations, and Deborah Bachrach, special counsel at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, discussed how various states are assessing the fiscal implications of the Medicaid expansion and also described New York’s approach to its expansion options. A video from the briefing is now available.

National Council Hall of Honor

Nominations are open for the 2013 Awards of Excellence!

Don’t forget to nominate an inspirational individual or organization for the 2013 Awards of Excellence, applications are due December 31!

Meet Sharon Denise Wise- last year’s Reintegration Award Winner for Artistic Contribution!
Sharon is a leading author and trainer to support people with mental illness. A noted national speaker, Wise has trained more than 2,000 people to help fight the stigma associated with mental illness. A Certified Peer, Whole Health Specialist, and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Facilitator, she operated the first drop-in center in Washington, DC, solely dedicated to serving people with mental illness and substance use disorders. A certified property manager, she works to make sure that persons with mental illness have adequate housing.

Watch Sharon’s amazing acceptance speech. 

Since 1997, the Reintegration Awards, supported by Eli Lilly and Company, have celebrated the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the achievements of those living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who battle tremendous odds to improve their own lives and the lives of their peers.

Member Spotlight

Welcome our two new affiliate members!

2U Inc., founded in 2008 by John Katzman and a team of education veterans with unparalleled experience, 2U Inc. partners with preeminent institutions of higher education to deliver rigorous, selective degree programs online to students globally. 2U supplies universities with the tools, expertise, capital, and global recruiting needed to compete in a space currently dominated by mediocre programs.

USC School of Social Work - The University of Southern California, one of the top research universities in the world, fosters a vibrant culture of public service and encourages students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge. The School of Social Work, one of the 10 top-ranked, accredited social work graduate programs in the nation (U.S. News & World Report), offers a rigorous, research-supported and mutually responsible learning process that nurtures innovative, principled and insightful leaders and practitioners.


Learn more about National Council affiliate membership here.