News from the States
- Ohio announces funding recipients of Child of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative
Around the Agencies
- CSAP seeks comments on proposed changes to Annual Synar Report for FY 2017-2019
- NIAAA updates Alcohol Policy Information System
- AHRQ report suggests that health information exchange impact not yet fully understood
- SAMHSA releases new mobile substance use disorder and mental health resources
In the News
- President Obama vetoes bill that would repeal parts of Affordable Care Act
- Health Information Technology Policy Committee submits interoperability recommendations to Congress
- Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network launches Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women
- Harvard Kennedy School of Government announces Innovation in American Government Awards grant program
Upcoming Events
- ONDCP, SAMHSA, and HHS host webinar on role of faith-based groups in addressing substance use disorders
- NIDA National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week materials
News from the States
Ohio announces funding recipients of Child of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Office of Prevention and Wellness announced the funding recipients of its Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative last week. The CIP initiative seeks to provide one-time funding to programs and organizations working to develop substance use disorder and trauma support systems for children of incarcerated parents. Almost $2 million in funding was awarded to the Federation of Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOPs) to create and develop support programs using the Creating Lasting Families Connections curriculum. Additionally, $400,000 in funding was awarded to the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs to track outcomes and evaluate the integration of the Creating Lasting Family Connections curriculum into Ohio’s broader re-entry policies.
Around the Agencies
CSAP seeks comments on proposed changes to Annual Synar Report for FY 2017-2019
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is currently seeking comments on proposed changes to the Annual Synar Report. Synar Reports require State agencies to submit information describing the enforcement of laws regulating tobacco products. The proposed changes clarify reporting requirements for States in an effort to decrease the need for supplemental questions once the reports have been submitted. New questions regarding State reporting protocols and methodologies have been added to bolster communication between SAMHSA and State agencies.
Read the full list of proposed changes here.
NIAAA updates Alcohol Policy Information System
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released an update to its Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) late last month. APIS contains information on each State’s alcohol policies as of January 1, 2015. Last month’s update features new information on several State statutes and regulations.
Access APIS here.
AHRQ report suggests that health information exchange impact not yet fully understood
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a report in late December suggesting that the full impact of electronic health information exchange (HIE) on patient outcomes is not yet fully understood. The report found that 75 percent of U.S. hospitals engaged in electronic sharing of health information with outside providers in 2014, which is an 85 percent increase since 2008. In 2012, only 39 percent of office-based health providers were able to utilize HIE. The AHRQ suggests that barriers to using HIE include “difficulties gathering a critical mass of participants, inefficient workflows, and poorly designed interface and update features.” The AHRQ recommends future studies coordinate with one another in order to achieve a comprehensive approach to studying the impact of HIE.
Read the full report here.
SAMHSA releases new mobile behavioral health resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) highlighted a series of new mobile behavioral health resource applications last week. The new mobile applications include suicide, bullying, and natural disaster resources; as well as an interactive game application called “Talk. They Hear You,” encouraging communication about underage drinking between parents and their children.
Read more about “Talk. They Hear You” here.
In the News
President Obama vetoes bill that would repeal parts of Affordable Care Act
Last week President Obama vetoed the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (H.R. 3762). In his veto message, the President noted that the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the legislation would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million after 2017, and that this reduction in health care coverage means that 900,000 fewer people would receive the health care services they need each year.
Read President Obama’s entire veto message here.
Read the text of H.R. 3762 here.
Health Information Technology Policy Committee submits interoperability recommendations to Congress
The Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a federal advisory committee to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, submitted recommendations for improving healthcare interoperability to Congress late last month. The recommendations include the development of meaningful measures of health information exchange (HIE) outcomes, including public reporting and vendor performance measures. The committee further recommended setting specific HIE payment incentives incorporating performance measure criteria, and requested the federal government convene a summit of major stakeholders within the public and private sectors.
Read the full report here.
Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network launches Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women
The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network launched their new Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women this past week. The new Center aims to bolster the strength of the addictions workforce serving pregnant and parenting women struggling with substance use disorders by developing new national curricula and web-based tools. The Mid-America ATTC will lead the new Center with the help of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies. The first year of the program will focus on the development of infrastructure and new web-based tools, with subsequent years focusing on the dissemination of additional products to all relevant stakeholders.
Read the full announcement here.
Harvard Kennedy School of Government announces Innovation in American Government Awards grant program
The Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation announced the Innovations in American Government Awards grant program last week. The grant program seeks to recognize “government-led programs that demonstrate novel and effective approaches to increasing public engagement and participation in the governance of towns, cities, States, and the nation.” Government entities at all levels (federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial) are eligible to apply for the grant award. Winners of the grant program will receive a $100,000 grant to aid in the continued development of recognized programs, with top finalists also receiving grant awards. Applications are due on April 15, 2016.
Read the full announcement and apply here.
Upcoming Events
ONDCP, SAMHSA, and HHS host webinar on role of faith-based groups in addressing substance use disorders
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be hosting a webinar on the role of faith-based groups in supporting health and wellness in communities across the country. During the webinar, faith leaders will present on how they are engaging their communities to address substance use disorders. The webinar will be held on Friday, January 15th from 1:00-2:00 pm EST.
Register for the webinar here.
NIDA National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week materials
In preparation for the National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is offering a variety of print and online educational resources. The Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is a national health observance for teens that uses NIDA science to share facts about drugs. The deadline to request free materials is this Friday, January 15th.
Materials can be ordered here.
Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Morrison, Executive Director, (202) 293-0090 or Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman, Public Policy Associate, at (202) 293-0090.