Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office’s Post

California behavioral health providers: We need your help! As we expand our research and implementation initiatives through Vision 2030, we are committed to generating insights that will improve care for those living with mental health and substance use challenges across the state. A critical part of this effort is understanding and addressing the growing needs of our behavioral health workforce. We invite you to take this 20-minute survey, open to all direct care providers in the California behavioral health workforce. This can include but is not limited to: psychiatrists, psychiatric technicians, clinical psychologists, primary care providers, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, school psychologists, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, community health workers, and peer support specialists. Insights from the survey will inform the Steinberg Institute’s effort to foster a broad and inclusive understanding of the behavioral health workforce. Data gathered will culminate in a comprehensive report released in 2025. Take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/eayVWPG5

Accountable collaboration, sound policy and strategic vision — with data driving all three. My new op-ed describes how Oklahoma has begun to deploy these ingredients of systems change to a mental health and substance use crisis that has seemed insurmountable for so long, highlighting Tulsa work as one example. The recent drumbeat has included statewide workforce development (like a forthcoming 30% expansion of psychiatric training slots) and many examples of new services and better collaboration in communities across the state (like a record $13M in new grants for school and community services for kids in Tulsa). Not to mention impressive advancements in community mental health, such as crisis services, for the most underserved Oklahomans. Our problems are still vast. Access to services isn’t nearly robust enough, and we haven’t figured out how to deploy proven models of prevention at scale. Yet. But Oklahoma’s treatment, policy and community leaders have been making strides. And there’s plenty more to celebrate on the way.

Dear Colleagues, This year, the American Rehabilitation Counseling (ARCA) established a Task Force focused on disability competencies within clinical supervision. We are seeking supervisees or recently licensed counselors who just completed their required supervision to take part in the second phase of a two-phase ARCA Task force Delphi consensus study. With this call for volunteers, we are hoping to recruit supervisees who have disabilities to share their expertise. By including the supervisees' opinions, we are hoping to make this study inclusive of their experience. We are asking for experts who meet the following: Graduate of CACREP-accredited counseling program, Recently acquired full licensure (e.g., LPC, LMHC, LCPC, etc.) within the past year or certified/licensed School Counselor, OR Currently working toward full licensure (e.g., LPC-A, Registered Clinical Mental Health Counseling Intern, etc.) or certified/licensed School Counselor for a minimum of six months, OR Current doctoral student engaging in clinical training as a supervisee, and not yet licensed or certified/licensed School Counselor, 3. Identify as having a disability. Links for Study: https://lnkd.in/gfUDwBP2 (Below are two images with more information about this study.)

Many states and cities are still far short on cash to support their #mentalhealth programs. But on March 21st a new bill was introduced in Congress called “The Creating Access and Resources in Education (CARE) for Student Mental Health Act”. Its goal is to help communities to utilize chunks of the $1 billion in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” which had been passed in June of 2022, but had not been significantly tapped. This Act is much needed. As reported by Barrett and Greene Inc., Inc. here’s what the AASA, The School Superintendents Association wrote “Despite the enormous need for school-based mental health professionals across the United States for this funding, fewer than 3% of eligible entities applied for these grants. Many district administrators had no idea this money was even available while other districts were deterred by the application process and the lack of technical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Education on how to complete the various components of the application.” Click here here for more details: https://lnkd.in/ebUZM8qe National Association of School Psychologists American Federation of School Administrators School-Based Health Alliance ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCIES National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Healthy Schools Campaign  National Association of School Psychologists, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American School Health Association, Committee for Children, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)

👀New proposals to require youth peer support in NYC schools! 👀 *If enacted*, the proposals would: 🟢Require Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop a toolkit with community-based organizations, 🟢Mandate the city to develop and offer peer-to-peer mental health training for public schools and students, and 🟢Pilot a program to have CUNY social work students provide support for programs that need support. (1)Yay for honoring the expertise of community members who have been doing this for a long time, (2)Amazing to address the lack of training as that is one of the biggest barriers we hear, and (3)Hopefully, this can include partnerships with peer organizations and specialists who have expertise in supervision. So thrilled to see this possibility. Now, we need to get more places to do the same!

Collective wellness is the way of the future. This approach should rain on our society as a new model to tackle mild to moderate cases of mental health challenges. A paradigm shift in providing true #psychological safety to our people whether they're at home, at work or at school. #PeerSupport Is about leveraging contextualized lived experience to find co-regulation of feeling with those who share the same understanding. #empathy is a feeling that has been neglected in one's self-care and deserves to be as contagious as COVID ever was. It is at the core of Peer Support and can never be replaced by machines. #PEERX Stephane Grenier, you have been spearheading this approach and your leadership in this space is undeniable. Knowing what we now, Stephane, it is time to double-down on our effort to heal the world and address the 16T global burden of mental illness and addiction. #Collaboration is the new #Competition. https://lnkd.in/gXiY2kne

Did you know CPAN and PeriPAN are part of a comprehensive, statewide effort to increase access to mental health care for our growing population? The focus on young Texans is particularly important for turning the tide on the long-term consequences of untreated mental illness. A recent The Dallas Morning News op-ed highlights the investments, partnerships, and initiatives behind this historic commitment: “Sustained efforts, coupled with increased state resources and the collaborative work of other state agencies, have placed Texas on the brink of a momentous breakthrough in mental health.” Read the full piece written by The University of Texas System Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs John Zerwas, MD & Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium Presiding Officer David Lakey, MD: https://bit.ly/3XAZkWn Texas clinicians are vital to our success. Join us in improving mental health for children and youth, and call to enroll in CPAN and PeriPAN today: www.TXCPAN.org www.TXPeriPAN.org 888-901-2726 Option 3 then 2

Start off your New Year by taking on the role of a hero by making a difference in the lives of young individuals! We are thrilled to announce that the dates for our FREE virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid training in 2024 are now open for enrollment. This is an opportunity like no other - a chance to equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to identify, understand, and address mental health challenges and substance use issues among youth. Thanks to our incredible partnership with the Florida Blue Foundation, this invaluable education is now within reach for individuals nationwide. This 6-hour session will empower you to be a catalyst for change, armed with the essential tools to provide unwavering support to young people aged 6-18 who may be struggling with mental health or substance use. From law enforcement and juvenile justice to school district employees, healthcare providers, mental healthcare providers, parents, and other youth-serving organizations - this training is tailored for all who are passionate about making a positive impact on young lives. But hurry, spaces are limited! Sign up today and join us on this journey to transform and uplift our youth. Let's be the heroes they need and create a brighter future for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/eGg_rmN2 #YouthMentalHealth #YouthMentalHealthFirstAid #MentalHealthTraining #SubstanceUseAwareness #YouthWellness #MentalHealthSupport #EmpoweringYouth #FloridaBlueFoundation #AccessibleEducation #SupportingYoungPeople #MentalHealthAwareness #SubstanceUsePrevention #LawEnforcementTraining #JuvenileJusticeTraining #SchoolDistrictTraining #HealthcareProviders #MentalHealthCareProviders #ParentEducation #YouthServingOrganizations #HeroTraining #ChampionsOfChange

In Texas, 98% of our 254 counties are designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, with only 1 clinician for every 30,000 residents. These shortages translate to impossibly long waitlists and the inability for private and state-run mental health hospitals to operate at capacity. As trusted, accessible community hubs in tune with the needs of local residents, libraries can provide innovative solutions to gaps in community services. Additionally, there is a growing effort among libraries across the country to provide more mental health resources, especially after COVID-19 led to increased social isolation. Following community conversations with our neighbors in rural areas of Central Texas, we launched the Libraries for Health initiative: a three-year pilot program that integrates mental health support into libraries to bolster community mental wellness. The Texas Tribune offers an in-depth look at how libraries in Texas are addressing mental health and wellness. Hear from our Senior Program Officer, Abena Asante—alongside a librarian and peer support specialist from Libraries for Health grant recipient Smithville Public Library—in this moving piece: https://lnkd.in/gXFCGewi