HKS Government Performance Lab’s Post

Join Brenda J. Weaver, MA, CPRP, for “Meeting in the Middle – Bridging, Brokering, Becoming Adult, A TCM Service Guide.” 4/24/24 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET LIVE WEBINAR Transitional aged youth (TAY), a demographic spanning ages 15–25, are experiencing a human developmental stage that encompasses the time between being a child and becoming an adult. This unique group of individuals who, according to a national youth mental health survey, “lack developmentally appropriate connections and experience limited to no meaningful preparation or guidance for adulthood” (WHO, 2020), are least likely to seek or acknowledge a need for help and more likely than any other age group to experience isolation, barriers to access and service gaps. This web-based training integrates case management technology with current youth-centered perspectives and evidenced practices into tips and tools that help practitioners and youth survive and thrive, leaving them able to plan, navigate and access meaningful transition-to-adult-life sensibilities, skills, services and supports. Register on the BHE website: drexel.edu/medicine/bhe

Thrilled to see LifeWise StL mentioned as one of the partners in the impactful Teen Connection Project! Together with organizations like Wyman Center, we're committed to promoting the health and well-being of young people, especially in addressing the epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The U.S. Surgeon General's advisory underscores the importance of collaborations with funders, partners, and policy makers to reach more teens and make a positive impact. Read more about this vital initiative and the incredible work being done. #MadeToConnect #TeenConnectionProject #CollaborationForChange"

At Brightline, we're deeply committed to youth mental health care, and our exceptional team plays a vital role in fulfilling that commitment. Brightline execs are passionate about elevating youth mental health care and steadfast in their cause. In this month's Bright Minds feature, we're thrilled to introduce you to Brightline Chief Clinical Officer - Myra Altman, PhD., as she shares her insights on supporting youth mental health by increasing access. "We are experiencing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis and it is critical to think holistically about how to care for all youth. An important part of this is making sure that we are meeting youth and families where they are with services that feel approachable to them. This means thinking about prevention as well as clinical supports and services. In the realm of prevention this question to me is about how do we support kids before their concerns rise to the level of clinical need - there is now great data that supports the use of coaching for these needs, which is an incredible step forward for the field that Brightline really helped pioneer. And then of course providing high quality and evidence-based clinical services for those who need it. Having all these services available in one platform is also really important for ensuring that people have access to the right care over time as their needs evolve." Myra stewards Brightline's commitment to clinical quality, provider satisfaction, clinical research, overall care model development, and safe innovation for care services. Learn more about bringing Brightline to the families in your organization.  https://lnkd.in/g5VQGjPx #BrightMinds #YouthMentalHealth #ChildMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

What can happen in two years after opening a YFC office in the underserved community of Gurnee? Opened in July 2022, this location has been heavily used by the northern Lake County community. Within two years, our Gurnee site reached capacity and now provides 30% of YFC’s total sessions. During the past six months, clinicians at YFC’s Gurnee site have provided 1,382 sessions to 177 clients! While people from all walks of life use YFC counseling services, this snapshot of our Gurnee client demographics exemplifies why we are committed to affordable, accessible and exceptional care: ◻ 75% are considered low-income;        ◻ 52% identify as Latino;      ◻ 23% identify as Black; and   ◻ 68% are 25 years old or younger. These clients receive the best possible care.  Each client receives an individualized treatment plan that uses evidence-based methods to manage symptoms and address presenting problems from YFC staff who are certified in trauma-informed care. “Tailoring care, programs, and services to the cultural, social, gender, and other socio-demographic contexts of individuals served yields positive outcomes. Communities and individuals benefit when they receive behavioral health services that are clinically proven effective, equitable, and culturally appropriate.” Source: Adapting Evidence-Based Practices for Under-Resourced Populations By helping people overcome barriers when seeking mental healthcare, we can build safe and vibrant communities where everyone can realize their full potential. It’s possible when we make affordable, accessible, exceptional counseling services available to everyone in Lake County. Join me in celebrating with our team in the comments!

👏Bob Woodruff Foundation applauds The Bridgespan Group’s call to action addressing our country’s mental health crisis🧠💥Many of their strategies for philanthropists to support mental health care mirror BWF’s approach to improving the quality of, and access to, high-quality mental healthcare for veterans and their families 🪖🎖️ 🙌Here’s how Bob Woodruff Foundation addresses these strategies: ✔️Strategy 1. Expand and retain the clinical and non-clinical mental health workforce.  BWF has funded training initiatives, case consultation support, clinical supervision, stipends for clinicians seeking training. BWF has supported programs training intake workers, as well as peer support programs. We also hosted a webinar    ✔️Strategy 2. Improve mental health via the K-12 school system.  Convening, placing clinicians in schools    ✔️Strategy 3. Expand access to culturally competent treatment.  We have invested in telehealth and services specifically for low-income individuals and POC.   ✔️Strategy 4. Build out the crisis-response infrastructure.  Vets4Warriors peer support line ✔️Strategy 5. Improve proven treatment and diagnostic methods, including through neurological research. This is outside the scope of BWF but we partner with industry-leading organisations studying this ✔️Strategy 6. Increase the awareness of, and culture change around, mental health, including destigmatizing mental illness.  Raising awareness via webinars and convenings   ✔️Strategy 7. Improve integration with care-adjacent systems.  Funding Veteran Treatment Courts, medical-legal partnerships, services for active-duty families.  #mentalhealthcrisis #mentalhealthcare #veteranmentalhealth

It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and we wanted to shine a spotlight on our MC STOMP national agenda. The agenda aims to stop the over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both, in multicultural settings. As the West Midlands is diverse and includes many of the most challenged, deprived, and vulnerable communities, patients are more likely to be over-represented in mental health pathways. This makes them more likely to receive treatment with psychotropic medicines, which in some cases may not be appropriate. MC STOMP aims to: 💊 Reduce overprescribing of antipsychotics by increasing structured medication reviews. 🗣️ Encourage the implementation of positive behavioural support plans as an alternative form of treatment. To learn more about MC STOMP, click here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eubHtwTq #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek #Neurodiversity #Neurodiverse #MCSTOMP

Next Monday, join a webinar with the NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability, and Substance Use Services (NC DMH/DD/SUS) to learn about policies and programs that affect the MH/IDD/SU/TBI community. The goal of this webinar is to bring everyone together in one (virtual) place. This group includes consumers, families, advisory groups, LME/MCOs, community members, and partner organizations. Side by side, people will work together to better understand and improve our system. We will listen closely to one another, and we will share ideas for public policy that will improve lives in NC. January's topic: Behavioral Health Workforce - Peer Support and Direct Support Professionals. Date/Time: Monday, January 8, 2023, 2:00-3:00 pm Register for the webinar at the link below: Image: Collage of images depicting groups of people of various ages and abilities interacting together.

🌟 **Empowering Families with CFTSS and HCBS** 🌟 Having witnessed firsthand the challenges families face when children's behavioral services are not provided early on, I understand the profound impact comprehensive support can have. In the evolving landscape of children's mental health, Children and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) and Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) offer vital, family-centered care. Some Key Aspects of CFTSS and HCBS: -Community Psychiatric Support and Treatment (CPST): Personalized, goal-directed services to help manage mental health challenges. - Crisis Services and Response (CSR): Immediate interventions to stabilize crises and prevent hospitalizations. - Family and Youth Peer Support: Guidance, mentorship, and advocacy from those with lived experience. - HCBS: Flexible, community-based services designed to support children with significant behavioral health needs, allowing them to remain at home and participate in their community. Integrating these services addresses immediate needs and empowers families with long-term resources. This focus on holistic, trauma-informed care ensures children and families receive tailored support. At ClinOps Consulting, we are passionate about enhancing access to these services and supporting the mental health and well-being of children and families. Interested in discussing your expansion and providing children's behavioral health services? Contact us today! #CFTSS #HCBS #MentalHealthSupport #FamilyCenteredCare #CommunitySupport #ChildrensServices #TraumaInformedCare

Have you registered for NOFASD's online conference "The FASD Forum '24" yet? The Early Bird rate is only available until Friday 29th March so don't miss out! Register at: https://buff.ly/3TCFo2Q Just some of the many reasons to participate: - Hear from experts on the topic of FASD including health professionals, researchers and those with extensive lived experience of this disability. - Participate online from your home or office - no need to make costly travel arrangements. - Video recordings of all sessions available to participants for a period of 90 days after the conference. Missed a session? No worries - watch the recording! - A conference platform designed to enable you to network actively with other conference participants - Topics selected for this conference are those that NOFASD knows are of key concern to those in the FASD community and also of interest to anyone who is supporting a child with a neurodeveopmental disorder. #TheFASDForum #FetalAlcoholSpectrumDisorder #FASD #FASDknowledge #NeuroDiverse

NYS Senator Samra Brouk and NYS Assembly Member Aileen Gunther penned an Op-ed (https://bit.ly/mhwfoe) highlighting the current New York youth mental health crisis and the investments needed to truly support families and children through it. In the Op-ed, these two state leaders point out that "providing quality mental health care to children — particularly those with complex needs — requires close collaboration between parents and psychiatrists, therapists, care coordinators and social workers, insurers, and so many others. The lack of access to adequate mental health care that so many New York families with children face is exacerbated by a shrinking workforce." Currently, there are only 28 child psychiatrists per 100,000 New York children, and in many counties there are none practicing at all. Brouk and Gunther echo solutions laid out in the Campaign for Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids platform, citing the campaign's push that "the administration must invest $195 million in the FY 2025 state budget to address severe challenges that have undercut the healthcare system’s ability to meet the behavioral health needs of children statewide." If these reforms are enacted, New York’s outpatient mental health system could add 1,300 additional practitioners and serve over 26,000 additional children. This Op-ed is elevating a topic that is impacting thousands of New York families and solutions must be prioritized now. If we don’t act now, we risk raising another generation of children whose unmet mental health needs become deeper, more complex, and more difficult to treat as they become adults. Please stand with CCC and the Campaign for Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids in calling for these critical investments in the state budget. Sign our campaign letter and send a clear message to our Governor and Legislature that the time to act is now: https://bit.ly/MHTA23 #MentalHealth #BehavioralHealth #MentalHealthCrisis #MentalHealthMatters #NewYork #NY #YouthMentalHealth #YouthInvestments #NYYouth #Advocacy #ChildAdvocacy