(SAMHSA) Headlines: National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America’s Schools

July 9, 2020 Subscribe

SAMHSA Headlines—Your one-stop source for the latest from SAMHSA. National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America’s Schools Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Elinore F. McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D. participated in a national dialogue on reopening America’s schools held at the White House on July 7.  COVID-19 Information for SAMHSA Discretionary Grant Recipients SAMHSA is allowing flexibility for grant recipients affected by the loss of operational capacity and increased costs due to the COVID-19 crisis. These flexibilities are available during this emergency time period. Flexibility may be reassessed upon issuance of new guidance by the Office of Management and Budget post the emergency time period. Click the link above for information and resources to assist grant recipients during the COVID-19 emergency. Continue to check this website for updates. Training and events are available for practitioners through SAMHSA Training and Technical Assistance Centers. Visit SAMHSA’s Practitioner Training webpage https://www.samhsa.gov/practitioner-training for a full list of the Centers. SAMHSA Headlines offers you a biweekly update of selected, upcoming trainings and webinars. However, for a broader range of activities, visit https://techtransfercenters.org/events, as well as the training sections of individual technical assistance center websites. Selected events are highlighted below. Note that some of them require advance registration. Note: If you are unable to access an event or webinar or have questions, please contact the source given at the individual event URL. Enhanced Prevention Learning Series (EPLS): Prevention Ethics 4 Sessions: Monday July 13, Wednesday July 15, Monday July 20, Wednesday July 22, 2020 2:00 p.m. EDT This 2-week distance learning series offers a unique interactive experience that provides participants an opportunity to explore the six principles of the Prevention Code of Ethics using realistic examples designed to strengthen participants’ abilities to manage challenging situations in their work. The learning series is structured to also provide online consultation, skill-based learning and practice, group and individual activities, reading assignments, and discussion on topics essential to application of an ethical decision-making process.   Reducing Vaping Among Youth and Young Adults This guide supports health care providers, systems, and communities seeking to prevent vaping. It describes relevant research findings, examines emerging and best practices, identifies knowledge gaps and implementation challenges, and offers useful resources.   Featured Items Recovery Live! Supporting Families of Adults Who Experience Serious Mental Illness and/or Substance Use Disorder Thursday, July 23, 2020 2:00 p.m. EDT Increasingly, organizations are recognizing that supporting families is an important part of supporting individuals in or seeking recovery. SAMHSA’s Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) invites you to join national experts in a conversation about the experiences of families as they support their loved ones.  Working and the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health – Webinar Series  Wednesday, August 12, 2020 1:00 p.m. EDT Mental Health Treatment in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence Wednesday, September 9, 2020 1:00 p.m. EDT Intimate Partner Violence, Suicidality, and Disabling Psychiatric Conditions: Unique Risks, Needs, and Strategies This series will introduce key issues at the intersection of intimate partner violence and mental health, and prepare mental health providers to better respond to the needs of individuals and families affected by intimate partner violence.  Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19 SAMHSA is committed to providing regular training and technical assistance (TTA) on matters related to the mental and substance use disorder field as they deal with COVID-19. View the updated available TTA resources to assist with the current situation. Funding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related to COVID-19 for SAMHSA Grant Recipients These FAQs address general questions associated with award and management of SAMHSA discretionary grants that may arise in relation to COVID-19. This information does not apply to SABG, MHBG, PATH or PAIMI grants. Applicants and grant recipients are strongly encouraged to monitor this website for updates. Training and Events Preventing and Responding to Family Violence During COVID-19 – Webinar Series Tuesday, July 14, 2020 1:00 p.m. EDT The webinars in this series will use case examples and dialogue between experts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to address critical questions that mental health providers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Via telehealth, providers are getting a glimpse into clients’ home lives and they are encountering complex family interactions all during a time of stress and danger, with community supports challenged to respond. Experts devote the first segment of each hour-long session to a specific topic and then address questions submitted by registrants. Following are the dates and topics for the webinars in this series – July 14, 2020 – Supporting Families of Young Children at Risk for Ongoing Domestic Violence July 21, 2020 – “Keeping it in the Family:" Addressing Family Conflict in the Time of COVID-19 July 28, 2020 – Minimizing Risk for Conflict/Coercion in Families with School-Age Children August 11, 2020 – When the Monsters Live with Us: Reflections on the Intersection of Structural Inequities, COVID-19 and Intimate Partner Violence and its impact on Young Children in Latin American Families (en español) Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Rates, Importance, and Identifying Risk – Webinar Series Tuesday, July 14, 2020 2:00 p.m. EDT In this session, participants will learn about loneliness and social isolation among older adults in rural and urban areas. The speaker will discuss what has changed as a result of the current health pandemic, how we can prepare rural providers to ask questions to determine isolation/loneliness, and what we can do for rural people who are experiencing isolation/loneliness. This is session one in a three part series on rural social isolation and loneliness among aged adults. The other two sessions include – Wednesday, July 22, 2020 10:00 a.m. EDT – The Evolving Nature of Social Connections: Promoting Well-Being in Times of Crisis Tuesday, July 28, 2020 1:00 p.m. EDT – Rural but Reachable: How to Build Grief Support by Creating Community Introduction to the DSM-5 and Models of Substance Use – 1st webinar in "Substance Use 101: A Series" Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:00 p.m. EDT Are you new in the field of substance use? Or do you want a review of the basics of alcohol and other drugs? This series of webinars/trainings is a collection of basic information. The other two webinars in this series include – Tuesday, July 21, 2020 – Basic Neurochemistry for non-scientists Tuesday, July 28, 2020 – Basics of Pharmacology New Ethical Dilemmas: Developing Professional Competency in the Digital Age – Introductory Webinar Wednesday, July 15, 2020 2:00 p.m. EDT With the rapid onset of the public health emergency, COVID-19, the use of technology and social media by behavioral health practitioners, for personal and professional purposes, has increased dramatically. As such, ethical and practice issues, like self-disclosure in postings, unintentional boundary crossings and violations, privacy and security issues, and social media concerns, reflect just some of the new dilemmas that providers face today. This 90-minute webinar will provide an overview of common ethical dilemmas that behavioral health providers face related to technology, such as social network sites, videoconferencing, web-based search engines, blogs, online practitioners’ reviews, etc.  Media Literacy Basics for Prevention Professionals – Webinar Wednesday, July 15, 2020 6:00 p.m. EDT Youth and young adults are bombarded with media depicting substances in a positive light, increasing the likelihood that they will use alcohol and other drugs. Building skills in youth and young adults to analyze media messages critically may help reduce the impact of the pro-substance messages on youth and young adults. This webinar will provide a basic overview of media literacy.  Getting Paid: Medicare, Opioid Screening, Intervention, and Treatment and Older Adults – Webinar Thursday, July 16, 2020 3:00 p.m. EDT This is the first webinar in the Sustainable Reimbursement of Medication Assisted Treatment Webinar Series, which will be held the third Thursday from May-September 2020. July’s webinar will provide detailed information on new Medicare opioid treatment benefits, as well as Medicare billing and reimbursement for screening, intervention, treatment, and bundled services.  Taking on the “Perfect Storm”: Faith-based Organizations and Partnerships Address Critical Behavioral Health Needs in Communities of Color – Webinar Thursday, July 16, 2020 3:00 p.m. EDT The current COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, behavioral health crisis, and the civil unrest stemming from recent incidents of police brutality have impacted all of America, but disproportionately affects communities of color. Learn how faith-based organizations are supporting the mental health concerns of racial/ethnic minorities and providing opportunities to receive support and connection through faith-based practices and partnerships.  The Treatment of Bipolar Depression: From Pills to Words – Webinar Friday, July 17, 2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT This webinar will review the array of treatment options for individuals with bipolar depression. The treatments discussed will include conventional psychopharmacologic options, such as mood stabilizers, second-generation antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Some attention will be given to novel treatments, including wake-promoting agents and thyroid hormone. Finally, psychosocial treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal and social rhythm therapy will be discussed as well.  Telehealth Pearls, Pitfalls, and Strategies to Improve Patient Experience – Webinar Monday, July 20, 2020 6:00 p.m. EDT Telehealth has been in use for years across multiple settings, but in the age of COVID has seen an unprecedented and unexpected explosion in popularity. This session will discuss some of the benefits of a telehealth practice, as well as reviewing the risks.  Peer Supported Re-entry Program for Incarcerated Individuals with Behavioral Health Disorders – Webinar Thursday, July 23, 2020, 3:00 p.m. EDT In this webinar we will discuss peer led reentry programs that begin within the institutions in release planning and preparation and then bridge the transition back to the community and continue to provide support that helps break the cycle of re-incarceration.  Clinical Roundtables – Webinars The Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS) is conducting a series of special Clinical Roundtables to provide you with the information you need as you care for your patients with Opioid Use Disorder. The goal of the PCSS Clinical Roundtable is to support interactions among addiction experts and health professionals through an informal “roundtable” conversation. More information is available at the PCSS calendar of events, https://pcssnow.org/calendar-of-events/category/clnical-roundtable/. Supporting Primary Care Colleagues to Treat Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders – Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:00 p.m. EDT Buprenorphine Maintained Patients Who Misuse Sedative-Hypnotics or Prescription Stimulants – Thursday, July 16, 2020 3:00 p.m. EDT Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Friday, July 17, 2020 12:00 p.m. EDT Buprenorphine, Chronic Pain and Microdosing – Tuesday, July 21, 2020 3:00 p.m. EDT Gabapentanoids: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing – Thursday, July 23, 2020 12:00 p.m. EDT Resources Tips for Managing Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Wallet Card The wallet card provides stress reduction tips and techniques and lists sources for additional assistance.  Are You Working to Help People Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic? This flyer highlights key Psychological First Aid concepts and resources disaster responders and outreach workers may use when assisting individuals affected by the pandemic. It also provides resources for further assistance. Feeling Stressed or Anxious About the COVID-19 Pandemic? This flyer provides information and tips for coping during a pandemic as well as resources for additional assistance.