Continuum of Care News

WHAT'S THIS? IMAGE: UNSPLASH/PIXABAY JIM BELOSIC  for  The Muse   In a recent interview, Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group, announced a vacation “non-policy” that allows his personal staff — some 170 employees — to  take as much vacation as they want,  with no one keeping tabs. At ShortStack we have a similar vacation benefit, only we call it “take what you need.” Branson and I are in a serious minority:  Only about 3% of businesses  in the United States currently offer unlimited vacation, although some of the bigger players in the tech sector are hopping on the bandwagon, including Netflix, Zynga, Groupon, HubSpot, and Evernote. Branson says his policy is more humane than parsing out days off. And it is. But that's not why I offer unlimited vacation. I do so because, in my 13 years as an entrepreneur, I've learned that when you treat employees like grown-ups, they act like grown-ups . When employees know they are tr...

Building the Behavioral Health Workforce The Affordable Care Act has made behavioral health care more accessible. It has also increased the need for trained service providers. SAMHSA recently launched a new strategic initiative to address the workforce shortage. SAMHSA Releases New Strategic Plan SAMHSA just released "Leading Change 2.0," its strategic plan for fiscal years 2015 to 2018. Check out the six Strategic Initiatives that will support and promote behavioral health across the Nation! Serious Mental Illness: A New Block Grant Priority People with a serious mental illness typically experience the first signs during adolescence or early adulthood. Yet long intervals frequently occur before they receive assistance. SAMHSA is helping states use part of their Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to address the need. "Crisis Response": An Alternative Hospital emergency rooms are not the only option when a mental health crisis occurs...