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CEO Update 125

NIMH Examines Whether Mobile Technology Can Predict Behavior and Improve Care in Teens with Depression

A new National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) project is investigating whether mobile technology can be used to create a passive monitoring system that can predict teens’ depressive symptoms and improve the quality of their care.

Funded through the NIMH’s Small Business Technology Transfer program, the two-phase study focuses on an app called MoodRing Enhanced Care, which passively collects smartphone data on teens’ communication patterns and social media use, and also gathers Fitbit data that reflects their physical activity, sleeps, and heart rate. Teens in the study, as well as their parents and healthcare providers, all have access to an online platform where they can view and discuss the data.

According to the NIMH, researchers hypothesize that by engaging in the monitoring process, the teens may develop the awareness and skills to identify, track, and manage their own symptoms over time.

SAMHSA Announces Grant Opportunities for Adults and Youth with SMI and SED 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will accept grant applications through early January for programs that focus on children, youth, and young adults with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and adults with serious mental illness (SMI).

The Statewide Family Network grant program is meant to respond more effectively to the needs of children, youth, and young adults with SED and their families by providing information, referrals, and support, as well as creating a way for families to participate in state and local mental health services planning and policy development. SAMHSA expects to provide about 10 grants of up to $95,000 for up to three years for this program.

Meanwhile, the agency plans to issue about a dozen grants of up to $95,000 for up to three years for its Statewide Consumer Network grant program, which is intended to address the needs of adults with SMI by developing and/or expanding peer-support services, peer leadership, and peer-engagement strategies statewide.

Applications to both programs are due by Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. Click here to learn more.

Reminder: DOL’s Rural Healthcare Workforce Training Grant Applications Due Today 

The U.S. Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will accept applications for its H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program through today, Friday, Nov. 13.

Earlier this fall, ETA announced $40 million in available grant funding for employment and training programs in healthcare occupations—including behavioral and mental healthcare—that serve rural populations.

According to the announcement, employment and training programs through this funding can propose a wide range of models, including Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs. Pre-apprenticeships are permitted only “as on-ramps” to apprenticeship programs proposed as a response to the funding notice and must lead to apprenticeships during the life of the grant.

Click here to learn more about the training programs and here to learn how to apply for the funding.

Action Alliance to Highlight Priorities for Suicide Prevention in Webinar on Nov. 19

The National Action Alliance on Suicide Prevention next week will highlight the six priorities it is using to guide a coordinated, national response to suicide prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Presenters from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Caleb’s Kids, a Detroit-based not-for-profit, will discuss how both organizations have adapted their suicide-prevention efforts during the pandemic while they implemented the Action Alliance’s National Response priorities focused on better suicide data collection and reaching communities disproportionately affected by Covid-19.

The hourlong webinar is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. ET. Click here to register.

In Case You Missed It: NABH Member Participates in Bipartisan Policy Center Webinar

NABH member Scott Oxley joined Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), Maine healthcare providers, and other experts on Friday, Nov. 13 to discuss the future of telehealth after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oxley serves as president of Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine. Click here to view the webinar.

NABH to Host Next Annual Meeting in October 2021

NABH is pleased to announce it will host its 2021 Annual Meeting from Wednesday, Oct. 6 – Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC.

The association re-scheduled for this later date in 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We hope you can join us!

After 2021, NABH will host its subsequent Annual Meetings in June. Please save the date for these future NABH Annual Meetings:

  • June 13-15, 2022
  • June 12-14, 2023

Thank you for all you do to advance NABH’s mission and vision. We look forward to seeing you in Washington next year!

Fact of the Week

The Treatment Advocacy Center cited a recent Journal of Psychiatric Research study that reported 70% of veterans with schizophrenia and 82% of veterans with bipolar disorder had a history of suicidal ideation or behavior. 
 
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.