Obama Administration Issues Rules Requiring Parity in Treatment of Mental, Substance Use Disorders

January 29, 2010 - The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury jointly issued new rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

The new rules prohibit group health insurance plans—typically offered by employers—from restricting access to care by limiting benefits and requiring higher patient costs than those that apply to general medical or surgical benefits. The rules implement the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA).

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Voices for Children Releases 17th Annual Kids Count Report

Voices for Children in Nebraska recently released their 17th annual Kids Count in Nebraska report. Kids Count in Nebraska provides pertinent information on how all children in Nebraska are faring in areas such as child abuse and neglect, early childhood care and education, economic well-being, education, health (physical and mental), juvenile justice, nutrition, and out-of-home care.

The report continues to provide tips for advocates, trend data for several indicators, and information about the online data system, CLIKS, provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count in Nebraska is used as a resource across the state by government agencies, media outlets, education and child welfare organizations, and concerned citizens.

To download a copy of the 2009 Kids Count in Nebraska report please visit www.voicesforchildren.com/kidscount.

Funds Available for Families Needing Short Term Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Services

In the face of growing need for mental health and substance abuse treatment, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are notifying states about how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to help families in their communities in need of short term mental health or substance use treatment services.

The grant notification includes an explanation of how resources under the TANF Emergency Fund – a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – can be used to support such services.

The TANF block grant provides states and tribes federal funds and wide flexibility to develop time-limited assistance programs, employment services for parents, and a broad array of specialized services – including mental health and substance abuse services - for struggling families in their communities. For example, a jurisdiction can use federal TANF funds to provide appropriate short-term counseling services such as mental health services.

“ACF and SAMHSA are working together to help ensure that TANF funds are available to states to support substance abuse and mental health services,” said SAMHSA Administrator, Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “These funds can be used to provide relief to families coping with these disorders and trying to achieve self-sufficiency. All too often mental and substance use disorders are overlooked and go untreated which undermines the potential for recovery.”

For pertinent information TANF jurisdictions can contact the Office of Family Assistance on its Welfare Peer TA website at http://www.peerta.acf.hhs.gov/. In addition, technical assistance can be obtained through the SAMHSA website at http://www.samhsa.gov/.

SAMHSA ADS Center Presents The History of the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Movement

On December 17, 2009, the SAMHSA ADS Center sponsored a training teleconference entitled The History of the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Movement. Coinciding with the emergence of other civil rights movements, the mental health consumer/survivor movement arose from the need to advocate for changes in the way society viewed and treated people with mental health problems. Since many people today are unaware of either the impact of this movement on contemporary attitudes or the full range of capabilities offered by people with mental health problems, the teleconference focused on the movement’s accomplishments from the perspectives of the presenters, with the goals of providing inspiration and hope for consumers/survivors and others and sparking public awareness of the benefits of social inclusion.

The movement’s early pioneers overcame multiple barriers and challenges to establish a powerful voice with an enduring message of self-determination and inclusion. During the teleconference, three of these early pioneers, Gayle Bluebird, Su Budd, and Sally Zinman, offered unique perspectives on the consumer/survivor movement. They also shared their thoughts on all the work that remains to be done. The SAMHSA ADS Center would like to thank these three remarkable individuals, not only for their informative presentations but also for their hard work in the mental health consumer/survivor movement.

If you were unable to participate in the teleconference or would like to listen to it again, you can access it by visiting http://promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/teleconferences/
archive/default.aspx.

Mental Health America Calls for Public Education on Mental Health Parity Law

Mental Health America today called for intensive education efforts to inform the public about the benefits of the new federal mental health parity law (the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act ), which becomes fully effective this Friday, January 1. The law, which Congress passed in October of 2008, broadly outlaws health insurance discrimination against Americans with mental health and substance use conditions in employer-sponsored health plans.

Read more about the Mental Health Parity Law.

A Letter for Every Life Lost

After bravely risking their lives for our country, our servicemen and women and their families often experience strained relationships, depression, and even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Our response as a grateful nation is critical, and there is a near epidemic of suicides among our Armed Forces.

While the Department of Defense provides service members who complete suicide a full military burial, there is a long-standing, unwritten policy of not sending Presidential letters of condolence to the families of those individuals. This lack of acknowledgment and condolence from the President may leave families with a sense that somehow their service member's sacrifices may not have been as great as those of others who died while in the military. President Obama has ordered a review of this policy, but no decision has been made.

Mental Health America is asking that you help eliminate the stigma of suicide by signing a petition calling on the President to start writing condolence letters to families of military service members who complete suicide. Click here to access the petition.

Combating the Stigma of Psychological Injuries

WASHINGTON – In his most extensive comments on mental health challenges facing American forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that many military personnel fear a stigma if they seek help for psychological injuries. He also criticized government and military bureaucracies for being “frustrating, adversarial and unnecessarily complex.” Gates made his comments during a “Mental Health Summit” convened by Eric K. Shinseki, the secretary of Veterans Affairs who previously served as Army chief of staff.

Click here to read the full article as published in the New York Times.