The Free Webinar: Affordable Care Act and Prevention | June 16, 2011 | 1 p.m. Eastern Time

This webinar, intended for consumers, providers, and state officials, will provide basic information about the prevention provisions and activities that are included in the Affordable Care Act.


Register for the Affordable Care Act and Prevention Webinar  June 16, 2011, 1 p.m. Eastern

Free Webinar: How To Comment on Regulations

SAMHSA's Partners for Recovery Initiative invites you to a free webinar on the public comment process for Federal regulations.

How To Comment on Regulations

May 26, 2011
1 p.m. Eastern Time

This webinar, designed for consumers and members of the recovery community, will provide guidance on the Federal regulatory process and the proper procedure and best practices for submitting comments on proposed regulations, including those governing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Register for How To Comment on Regulations Webinar

The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change

The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change March 30, 2011  |  3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time SAMHSA invites you to a free training teleconference titled, "The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 60 percent of American adults say they endured abuse and other difficult family situations as children, otherwise known as adverse childhood experiences. Those experiences can have long-term health consequences and can create financial burdens on society due to the need for hospitalization, mental health care, child welfare services and/or law enforcement. This teleconference will educate diverse stakeholders about comprehensive systems change, including preventing both harm and inadvertent retraumatization and ensuring that services and supports are welcoming, engaging, and culturally attuned. The goal is to help facilitate the healing process among people who have experienced trauma so that they can become fully engaged in their communities. Presenters: Cathy Cave, Senior Program Associate, Advocates for Human Potential Roger Fallot, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, Community Connections Ann Jennings, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, The Anna Institute Register Now Registration will close at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, March 27, 2011.

Joint Meeting of SAMHSA's Advisory Committees Open to the Public

March 29, 2011  |  8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

SAMHSA
1 Choke Cherry Road
Rockville, MD 20857
Sugarloaf/Seneca Conference Rooms

You're invited to the Joint Meeting of SAMHSA's Advisory Committees:

• SAMHSA National Advisory Council
• Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council
• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment National Advisory Council
• Advisory Committee for Women's Services
• Tribal Technical Advisory Committee

The agenda includes discussions on SAMHSA's fiscal year 2012 budget, SAMHSA's Block Grant applications, and SAMHSA's Strategic Initiatives. The discussions will focus on the Agency's work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities that advance and protect the Nation's health.

In addition, SAMHSA's Advisory Committees will hold individual meetings on March 30, 2011, in the SAMHSA office building.

The registration deadline is March 22, 2011, but the Joint Meeting also can be accessed via webcast if you are unable to attend.

Register Now

SAMHSA: Source for Behavioral Health Resources

Your Source for Behavioral Health Resources New Publications Ordering Website — store.samhsa.gov SAMHSA has a new Publications Store where you can order free behavioral health resources, including manuals, brochures, videos, and public service announcements. Registering on the website will allow you to: Track previous and current orders. Save your shipping address. Create "favorites" or a "wish list." Receive a notification when a product is back in stock. Start ordering free publications today. Find products like these popular titles: Considerations for the Provision of E-Therapy Examines electronically delivered services (e-therapy) and their potential efficacy for treatment of substance abuse and mental illness. Partnership To Prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Public Education Program Manual Provides strategies to plan fetal alcohol spectrum disorders' prevention programs, involve providers, disseminate materials, and conduct follow-up evaluations. Sustaining Grassroots Community-Based Programs: A Toolkit for Community- and Faith-Based Service Providers Contains six books to help grassroots organizations and faith-based organizations develop substance abuse and mental health treatment services. Screening and Assessment for Family Engagement, Retention, and Recovery Offers screening tools and principles to help child welfare staff screen parents for potential substance abuse and make decisions about children's safety.

Free Webinars for Consumers: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

SAMHSA's Partners for Recovery Initiative invites you to two free webinars on the new Federal parity law.

---

Parity 101  |  February 17, 2011  |  1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time
The webinar will provide a general overview of MHPAEA and the recently released Interim Final Rule. The webinar, which is directed to consumers, will be presented by health policy experts from the Legal Action Center.
Register for Parity 101 Webinar

---

Parity 201  |  March 10, 2011  |  1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time
The webinar, designed for states and providers, includes a detailed discussion about implementation of MHPAEA. This discussion will provide details on state-level implementation efforts, interplay between the Federal parity law and state parity laws, and anticipated additional pieces of regulatory guidance.
Register for Parity 201 Webinar

Spending on Behavioral Health is a Shrinking Portion of Overall Health Expenditures

Image via Wikipedia

SAMHSA News Release

Spending on psychiatric drugs grew by 5.6 percent from 2004 to 2005, down from the 27.3 percent growth from 1999 to 2000 according to a study published today in the February issue of Health Affairs. The study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration analyzed healthcare costs from 1986 to 2005 to determine patterns in expenditures for behavioral health services. SAMHSA is publishing the full report entitled National Expenditures for Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Treatment, 1986 - 2005 that can be found at the SAMHSA web site.

In 2005, the latest year comparable data is available, behavioral health spending accounted for 7.3 percent ($135 billion) of the $1.85 trillion spent on all health care services in the U.S. During the 20-year study period, both mental health and substance abuse spending grew more slowly than all other health spending: 4.8 percent annually for substance abuse, 6.9 percent annually for mental health, and 7.9 percent annually for all health care services. The same pattern held in the most recent 2002-2005 period, in which spending for substance abuse grew slowest (5.0 percent), followed by mental health (6.4 percent), and all health (7.3 percent).

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., commented, "Behavioral health services are critical to health systems and community strategies that improve health status and they lower costs for individuals, families, businesses, and governments. The value of behavioral health services is well documented. Studies have shown that every dollar invested in evidence-based treatments yields $2.00 to $10.00 in savings in health costs, criminal & juvenile justice costs, educational costs, and lost productivity. Yet, too many people don’t get needed help for substance abuse or mental health problems and health care costs continue to skyrocket."

The study found that private insurance spends about 5 percent on behavioral health treatment. Spending on behavioral health treatment (mental health and substance abuse) comprised 4.8 percent of private health insurance expenditures in 2005 and grew by 7 percent from 2004 to 2005. This estimate provides an important baseline for evaluating the impact of the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act and Affordable Care Act. In contrast, Medicaid behavioral health was responsible for 11.5 percent of total spending by Medicaid. Thus the study indicates that the level of public spending on behavioral health issues may be related to lack of private insurance benefit for many with mental health needs and that these problems may be addressed with parity.

The study’s key findings included:

• Unlike overall health spending, the vast majority of behavioral health services is publicly funded. In 2005, public payers accounted for the 79 percent of spending on substance abuse treatment services and 58 percent of spending on mental health services. In contrast, public payers accounted for less than half (46 percent) of all-health spending.
• Psychiatric drug spending growth is declining. In the past psychiatric drugs were a major driver of overall mental health spending - contributing almost half of the increase in mental health spending between 1998 and 2002. However, because of the wider use of less-expensive generic drugs and reduced numbers of new people using psychiatric medications, the growth rate in spending for these drugs actually slowed from 27.3 percent from 1999 to 2000 to only 5.6 percent from 2004 to 2005.
• Spending on addiction medications is increasing but still remains relatively small. As a result of the introduction of new medications to treat substance dependence, spending on addiction medications has grown rapidly -- from $10 million in 1992 to $141 million in 2005. More recent data from IMS Health shows continued rapid increases up to $780 million in 2009. However, it remains only a small fraction of the entire amount spent on substance abuse treatment (0.6 percent of $22 billion in 2005).
• Private insurance spends about 5 percent on behavioral health treatment. Spending on behavioral health treatment (mental health and substance abuse) comprised 4.8 percent of private health insurance expenditures in 2005 and grew by 7 percent from 2004 to 2005. This estimate provides an important baseline for evaluating the impact of the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act and Affordable Care Act. In contrast, Medicaid behavioral health was responsible for 11.5 percent of total spending by Medicaid in 2005.

For those seeking the Health Affairs summary article, the citation is Mark TL, Levit KR, Vandivort-Warren R, Buck JA, Coffey RM. Changes in U.S .Spending on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment, 1986 2005, And Implications for Policy. Health Affairs 30, No 2. (2011) (abstract available at : http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/30/2/284). The full report is available at the SAMHSA Website under financing in the health care reform section.

Data files from the National Expenditure report are available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SMA10-4612.

---

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Spending on behavioral health is a shrinking portion of overall health expenditures

Two Mental Health Publications Available from SAMHSA

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Medicaid, 2003

In 2003, Medicaid provided health care coverage for 55 million people, nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, and was a major source of funding for mental health and substance abuse services. By 2014, Medicaid is projected to pay for 27 percent of the costs for all mental health services and 20 percent of the costs for all substance abuse treatment. Because of their complex needs and high expenditure levels, Medicaid beneficiaries who use these services continue to be the subject of much discussion among policymakers and program administrators at the state and Federal levels.

This report can help inform these policy discussions because it is designed for representatives of consumer groups, Medicaid directors, state mental health directors, and anyone who is concerned about mental health and substance abuse services for vulnerable citizens.

Related Resources

State Profiles of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Medicaid

Establishing and Maintaining Medicaid Eligibility Upon Release From Public Institutions

State Mandates for Treatment for Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders

---

Mental Health, United States, 2008 This new, redesigned edition provides information on the mental health status of the U.S. population, the providers and settings for mental health services, the types of mental health services and rates of utilization, and expenditures and sources of funding for mental health services.

It is a resource for state officials and policymakers, mental health researchers, advocacy organizations, mental health consumers and family members, and anyone with an interest in learning about the mental health services in the United States and the populations served by the U.S. mental health system.

Related Resources

Projections of National Expenditures for Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Treatment, 2004–2014

Mental Health Findings: Results From the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

Mental Health, United States, 2004

Moving Mental Health into the Disaster-Preparedness Spotlight — NEJM

by Katherine Yun, M.D., Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H. and Pamela S. Hyde, J.D

Lessons from previous incidents suggest that preparation for and response to communities' mental and psychosocial needs after a disaster require awareness of the expected behavioral health effects, understanding of the population at risk, knowledge of existing community support services, and channels for coordinating expertise among nonprofit, academic, clinical, and government institutions at the local, state, and national levels. Given the current profound environmental and economic disruption in the Gulf region, the potential effects on behavioral health include increased rates of mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders; exacerbation of existing mental illnesses; increased rates of somatic manifestations of stress; and increased rates of child abuse and intimate-partner violence.4 Information about the population at risk may be derived in part from traditional data sources, such as the census, but more complete information requires access to local knowledge, particularly from organizations that work with historically marginalized populations. In addition, key local informants can impart crucial information about existing community services, permitting coordination among local, state, and national organizations.

Disaster response must build on the framework of existing systems. Five years after Katrina, the infrastructure for mental health and substance-abuse services in the Gulf region has evolved, but substantial challenges remain. Assets include programs, such as Reach NOLA, that train community mental health workers, using models for community engagement and peer-to-peer support. Safety-net providers have developed mobile medical units, with increasing colocation of mental and general health services. And since Katrina, grassroots organizations have empowered communities that are increasingly savvy about relevant research, disasters, and bureaucracy.

Governments' public health preparedness has also advanced considerably. Public health surveillance systems fortified during the 2009 response to the H1N1 influenza epidemic began collecting oil-related health information soon after the explosion; public health officials are exploring the use of similar methods for mental health surveillance. Through established relationships with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), state health departments have coordinated local public health and behavioral health responses in consultation with national public health experts.

Still, we are not where we need to be. There are too few providers of mental health and substance-abuse services and too many barriers to care. Safety-net services are located predominantly in large cities, rather than coastal towns, and much of the affected area is medically underserved. In smaller communities, services are scarce for immigrants such as Vietnamese-American fishing families. Deep-seated negative public perceptions and discrimination against people with mental illnesses or addictions, compounded by suspicion of government and research institutions, make it challenging to get people in emotional distress — including health care providers — to seek or accept interventions. And there is little generalizable research on ways of reducing long-term mental health effects and rates of substance abuse after a disaster.

To enable quicker response and recovery, surveillance systems for mental illness and substance abuse must be strengthened through broader intellectual investment in a conceptual framework and technical requirements.5 Some current surveillance approaches, such as tracking calls to poison-control centers and domestic-violence hotlines, are already being applied. Other methods, such as syndromic surveillance, require refinement, given the varied somatic manifestations of stress and the potential reluctance of historically marginalized populations to seek mental health or substance-abuse services. Again, local engagement is key: community agencies can alert public health officials to emerging issues.
Full Article

SAMHSA Offers New Toolkit for Senior Living Communities to Promote Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Image via Wikipedia

Statistics show that adults age 65 and older have one of the highest suicide rates of any age group in the United States. In response to this challenge, the Department of Health and Humans Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is providing a new toolkit that teaches staff working in senior living communities how to recognize and take steps to help someone at risk of suicide. The ideas presented in this toolkit can help prevent suicides, promote mental health, and create an environment that will enhance the well-being of residents and staff alike.

To download a copy of the toolkit, please go to http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA10-4515/

To learn more about SAMHSA, please go to http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/

Consumer Choice Technology Hearing

Tuesday, June 29, 2010  |  8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Grand Hyatt Hotel
1000 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001
Meeting Location: Constitution Ballroom, Constitution Level

 c

Held by the Privacy and Security Tiger Team, the meeting will be a discussion about technologies that enable consumers to choose whether or not to share their information in a health information exchange. The morning session will be devoted to hearing testimony from current users of these technologies, followed by developer demonstrations.

The afternoon session will feature testimony and demonstrations by developers of "cutting edge" technologies that may, in the future, be useful in the clinical care setting. After both sessions, a panel of experts will ask questions of the presenters. The Tiger Team will also have time to ask questions of the presenters and the experts. The hearing is open to the public, and there will be time in both the morning and afternoon for public testimony and questions. A preliminary agenda (subject to change) and Web registration form are available on the hearing Web site.

Register Now  |  View Agenda   (50.3 KB)  |  Get Hotel Information 

Attitudes Toward Mental Illness --- 35 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2007

CDC Home

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

Negative attitudes about mental illness often underlie stigma, which can cause affected persons to deny symptoms; delay treatment; be excluded from employment, housing, or relationships; and interfere with recovery (1). Understanding attitudes toward mental illness at the state level could help target initiatives to reduce stigma, but state-level data are scant. To study such attitudes, CDC analyzed data from the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, and the 35 states participating in the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (the most recent data available), which included two questions on attitudes toward mental illness. Most adults (88.6%) agreed with a statement that treatment can help persons with mental illness lead normal lives, but fewer (57.3%) agreed with a statement that people are generally caring and sympathetic to persons with mental illness. Responses to these questions differed by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. Although most adults with mental health symptoms (77.6%) agreed that treatment can help persons with mental illness lead normal lives, fewer persons with symptoms (24.6%) believed that people are caring and sympathetic to persons with mental illness. This report provides the first state-specific estimates of these attitudes and provides a baseline for monitoring trends. Initiatives that can educate the public about how to support persons with mental illness and local programs and media support to decrease negative stereotypes of mental illness can reduce barriers for those seeking or receiving treatment for mental illness (2,3).

To measure attitudes about mental illness through BRFSS and other surveys, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and CDC collaborated in 2005 to develop brief questions suitable for surveillance (4). BRFSS is an ongoing, state-based, random-digit--dialed telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population aged ≥18 years.* With SAMHSA and CDC support, 35 states, DC, and Puerto Rico questioned survey respondents to the 2007 BRFSS about mental illness. Questions included the Kessler-6 scale of serious psychological distress (5), frequent mental distress, one question about current treatment for an emotional problem, and two attitudinal questions.

Attitudes Toward Mental Illness --- 35 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2007

New Resource on Addressing Specific Substance Abuse Treatment Needs of Women

Image by kevinliuzzo via Flickr

Older years are filled with many adjustments and challenges, often including loss of spouse and close friends, retirement, and reduced income. Some women turn to alcohol or drugs to help meet these life changes. Because many older women live alone (40 percent of those aged 65 and older [FIFARS 2004]), their substance use is difficult to measure (Moore et al. 1989). Older women tend to hide their substance use because they attach greater stigma to it than men do (CSAT 1998d). Older women are less likely than older men to drink or use drugs in public, so they are less likely to drive while intoxicated or engage in other behavior that might reveal a substance use disorder (SAMHSA 2008).

Substance use disorders in older women often go undetected by primary care professionals because of a lack of appropriate diagnostic criteria and because many signs of abuse can be mistaken for other conditions more prevalent in later life (e.g., cognitive impairment, anemia, physiological consequences from falls). It is not unusual for older patients to show poor compliance with the recommended use of their medications (Menninger 2002).

Download Tip 51 Manual (382 pages)

SAMHSA’s Weekly Financing News Pulse: National Edition

Image via Wikipedia

National News
• HHS Will Not Request Additional FY2011 Budget Funds for Reform, Insurers Begin Dependent Coverage Early, IRS Action on Reform, MLR Report Released by Senate Committee, Lawsuit Expands to 20 States
• House Approves Veterans Legislation with Mental Health Components
• Update: President Obama Nominates Berwick as CMS Administrator
• Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Drug Free Communities Enhancement Act of 2010
• CMSS Releases New Ethics Code
• Representatives Introduce EHR Funding Parity Legislation
• CMS Proposes Cuts to Medicare Operating Payments to Acute Care Hospitals, Increase to Long-Term Care Hospitals
• Deputy Director of ONDCP to Resign
• Polls Finds Favorable View of Reform, Confusion Prevails

Studies Released
• Express Scripts Releases Drug Trend Report
• KFF Releases Three Briefs on Health Care Reform
• Commonwealth Fund Brief Examines GEM as Foundation for Reform
• AIS Publishes Managed Medicare and Medicaid Factbook

Around the Hill: Hearings on Health Financing
Read/Download

SAMHSA’s Weekly Financing News Pulse: State and Local Edition April 21, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

Alabama Legislature Approves Budget, Medicaid and CHIP Funding Maintained

On April 13, the Alabama House of Representatives and Alabama Senate approved a $1.6-billion general fund budget for state agency operations that maintains Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding at their current levels. The budget relies on a $197-million Federal extension of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding that Congress has not yet approved.

Michigan's Shiawassee County Considers Bond Issue To Refinance CMHA

The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners is considering putting together a bond issue to refinance the Community Mental Health Authority (CMHA) facility. The proposal under consideration requires the board to issue bonds and use the proceeds to acquire CMHA's facility, which it would then lease to CMHA. CMHA would make payments equal to the amount of debt service on the county's bonds for 23 years, at which point the bonds would be paid off and CMHA would take back control of the title from the county. CMHA would be responsible for all costs and maintenance of the building for the duration of the lease. The CEO of CMHA says that the plan would save them $15,000 annually.

Nevada Governor Agrees To Allocate Funds To Prepare for Medicaid Expansion

On April 14, Governor Jim Gibbons (R) agreed at a Nevada Board of Examiners meeting to spend $279,119 in state funds to establish a planning unit to prepare for the expansion of Medicaid in 2014. Nevada currently only allows families with incomes up to 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to enroll in Medicaid, but under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, adults without children will become eligible for Medicaid and the income eligibility expands to up to 133 percent of the FPL. The funds will allow Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Director Mike Willden to hire staff and a consultant to determine how much additional staff and funding will be necessary for the state to comply with the new requirements. Willden projects that under the new law, Nevada will add 150,000 to the 260,000 currently on its Medicaid rolls.

Virginia Governor Proposes Budget Amendments on Mental and Substance Use Treatment

Governor Bob McDonnell (R) proposed two budget amendments that would affect behavioral health treatment in Virginia. The first would authorize the expansion of the state's Medicaid managed care program to cover community mental health and substance abuse services and residential treatments. The second would add behavioral health drugs to the Medicaid Preferred Drug List, a proposal that legislators rejected under previous administrations. Lawmakers will vote on the measures on April 21. To continue reading these articles and see all articles included in this week's State and Local Financing News Pulse
Click Here

SAMHSA Transformation Accountability (TRAC) Reporting System --(OMB No. 0930-0285)--Revision

Image via Wikipedia

SAMHSA's CMHS is requesting approval for a revision to the National Outcome Measures (NOMs) for Consumers Receiving Mental Health Services. The name of this data collection effort is revised to the Transformation Accountability (TRAC) Reporting System (hereafter referred to as TRAC) to enable SAMHSA CMHS to consolidate its performance reporting activities within one package. This request includes a revision of the currently approved client-level data collection effort for programs providing direct services; additional questions will enable CMHS to more fully explain grantee performance in relation to Agency and/or program objectives. This request also includes the addition of data collection from Project Directors of grants engaged in infrastructure development, prevention, and mental health promotion activities. These new instruments will enable SAMHSA CMHS to capture a standardized set of performance indicators using a uniform reporting method.

These proposed data activities are intended to promote the use of consistent measures among CMHS grantees and technical assistance contractors. These common measures recommended by CMHS are a result of extensive examination and recommendations, using consistent criteria, by panels of staff, experts, and grantees. Wherever feasible, the proposed measures are consistent with or build upon previous data development efforts within CMHS. These data collection activities will be organized to reflect and support the domains specified for SAMHSA's NOMs for programs providing direct services, and the categories developed by CMHS to specify infrastructure development, prevention,
and mental health promotion activities.

Client-Level Data Collection

The currently approved data collection effort for the SAMHSA CMHS programs that provide direct services to consumers includes separate data collection forms that are parallel in design for use in interviewing adults and children (or their caregivers for children under the age of 11 years old). These SAMHSA TRAC data will be collected at baseline, at six month reassessments for as long as the consumer receives services, and at discharge. The proposed data collection encompasses eight of the ten SAMHSA NOMs domains.

Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed information collection should be sent by April 23, 2010 to: SAMHSA Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503; due to potential delays in OMB's receipt and processing of mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, respondents are encouraged to submit comments by fax to: 202-395-6974.
Continue Reading

Increasing Substance Abuse Levels among Older Adults Likely to Create Sharp Rise in Need for Treatment Services in Next Decade

According to a new report, need for substance abuse treatment among Americans over age 50 projected to double by 2020

A new study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the aging of the baby boom generation is resulting in a dramatic increase in levels of illicit drug use among adults 50 and older. These increases may require the doubling of substance abuse treatment services needed for this population by 2020, according to the report.

Link to Full Report

Related articles by Zemanta

• Some U.S. babyboomers still getting high: report (ctv.ca)
• Baby boomers still getting high, U.S. agency says (windsorstar.com)
• Baby Boomers Still Getting High, Now Popping Prescription Meds (grantlawrence.blogspot.com)
• Boomers Still Getting High (boomercafe.com)
• Study: More Older Americans Abusing Drugs (inquisitr.com)

New TAP on Implementing Change in Substance Abuse Treatment

Image via Wikipedia

Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) 31: Implementing Change in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs provides guidance on integrating evidence-based practices (EBPs) into substance abuse treatment programs.

Written for substance abuse treatment administrators, managers, and supervisors, TAP 31 suggests practical and efficient approaches for introducing and implementing EBPs. It includes steps for assessing an organization’s readiness to adopt new practices, identifying priorities in adopting EBPs, evaluating progress, and sustaining change over time. TAP 31 complements the best practices described in SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's (CSAT's) Treatment Improvement Protocols.

Download Guide

Funding Opportunity: Statewide Consumer Network Grant

Image via Wikipedia

The purpose of this program is to enhance statewide consumer run organizations to promote service system capacity and infrastructure development to be consumer-centered and targeted toward recovery and resiliency, and consumer-driven by promoting the use of consumers as agents of transformation. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, this program seeks to address the needs of underserved and under-represented consumers; of consumers with histories of trauma, veterans, or those who have been involved in the criminal justice system; and/or to promote activities related to partnership development, coalition building, legacy planning, and economic empowerment as part of the recovery process for consumers. The Statewide Consumer Network Grants program builds on the work of the Federal Community Support Program (CSP). The Center for Mental Health Services has supported the development of accessible, responsive mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and supportive services for people with a serious mental illness through CSP. The mission of CSP is to promote the development of systems of care which helps adults with serious mental illness recover, live independently and productively in the community, and avoid inappropriate use of inpatient services.

Eligible Applicants:
Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities, tribal and urban Indian organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations that meet the following eligibility criteria may apply. The statutory authority for this program prohibits grants to for-profit agencies.
* An applicant organization shall not be a current recipient of a SAMHSA Statewide Consumer Network Grant funds.
* An applicant organization must be controlled and managed by mental health consumers (see Appendix H - Glossary);
* An applicant organization must be dedicated to the improvement of mental health services Statewide;
* An applicant organization must have a Board of Directors comprised of more than 50 percent consumers; and
* An applicant must complete the Certificate of Eligibility (see Appendix I of this document) indicating that the applicant meets all eligibility requirements.
Applicants must also provide necessary supportive documentation specified in the Certificate. SAMHSA is limiting eligibility to consumer-controlled organizations because the goals of this grant program are to strengthen the capacity of consumers to act as agents of transformation in influencing the type and amount of services and supports provided to individuals with a serious mental illness and to ensure that their mental health care is consumer driven. The statutory authority for this program prohibits grants to for-profit agencies. As this program currently funds Statewide Consumer Network Grants from 2007-2010, eligibility for this grant announcement is restricted to consumer-controlled non profit organizations that are not currently funded by the program.

Full Announcement

September is Recovery Month

Find Out More