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CEO Update | 71

NABH Endorses Legislation For a 3-Digit Suicide Prevention Line

NABH joined nearly 50 mental health organizations in endorsing The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (HR 4194), which would establish a national 3-digit suicide prevention line. The legislation has nearly 70 congressional co-sponsors and a bipartisan Senate companion bill is currently being drafted. NABH previously sent a letter to FCC Secretary Marlene Dortch asking the agency to establish a hotline. “Based on the urgency of the suicide crisis and the nature of suicidal ideation, the potential positive outcomes outweigh any costs associated with changing an existing N11 number,” Mark Covall wrote. “This is why we strongly encourage the FCC to move forward immediately and repurpose an existing N11 number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.”

Labor Department Releases More Information on Parity

Recently the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released a series of documents designed to help stakeholders understand the parity provisions included in the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA), the 21st Century Cures Act, the SUPPORT for Patient and Communities Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The documents do not provide a new interpretation of those laws but do provide examples and illustrations of how the laws work. Here are the documents that were released:
  • FAQs about Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Implementation and the 21st Century Cures Act.
  • Final MHPAEA Disclosure Template.
  • MHPAEA Enforcement Fact Sheet for FY 2018.
  • Appendix to the MHPAEA Enforcement Fact Sheet for FY 2018.
  • Introduction to the MHPAEA Enforcement Fact Sheet for FY 2018.

Suicide Rates Continue to Climb

A Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report on trends in suicide found that rates have “increased across the nation and most rapidly in rural counties.” Of those who died by suicide (from 1999 to 2016) 77 percent were male and primarily between the ages of 45 to 54 years. The report also found that suicide rates were higher and increased more rapidly in rural counties.

New Publication on The Sequential Intercept Model

The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) is a “strategic planning tool that helps communities better understand the gaps and resources they have in helping those with mental illness or substance use disorders who are in the criminal justice system.” This week SAMHSA released a newbrochure that provides an overview of SIM. SAMHSA has been working to expand the use of SIM and previously released Data Collection Across the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM): Essential Measures, a manual for using data to improve outcomes for people with behavioral healthcare conditions in the criminal justice system.

Federal Report on Achieving Population-Level Effects for Behavioral Healthcare in Children

In a follow up to their 1994 and 2009 reports, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a new report this week: Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth. The report made a series of recommendation including the development of a national agenda on youth behavioral health. Additional recommendations include:
  • Federal agencies should collaborate with state and local agencies, as well as national and local foundations and the business community;
  • Federal agencies should use their capabilities to promote healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral development and mitigate risks;
  • Federal agencies should support rapid development and dissemination of effective mental, emotional, and behavioral interventions for delivery to large populations; and
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should collaborate with states and local jurisdictions to conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing sources of data useful for tracking key population data on the mental, emotional, and behavioral health and development of children.

New Consumer Information on “Vaping Illnesses”

In response to the recent reports of respiratory illnesses following the use of vaping products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided information to help protect consumers. The FDA is also in the process of investigating the issue more thoroughly and has encouraged the public to submit detailed reports of any unexpected tobacco- or e-cigarette-related issues to the FDA via the online Safety Reporting Portal.

Save the Date for the NABH 2020 Annual Meeting!

Please save the date and plan to attend the NABH 2020 Annual Meeting at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC from March 16-18, 2020. NABH will send Save-the-Date cards with details in late September and will alert members when online registration and hotel reservations are available. We look forward to seeing you in Washington next March!

Fact of the Week

The percentage of Americans that “did not have health insurance at any point during the year” increased in 2018 to 8.5 percent (27.5 million people) from 7.9 percent (25.6 million people) in 2017.   For questions or comments about CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.