News from the Director: Chris Imhoff
In support of National Mental Health Awareness Month, Governor Gregoire has proclaimed May 2012 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Washington State, and May 9th as Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.
Mental Health America has developed two themes for this year to help foster greater understanding and support for people living with a mental health condition and the effects of trauma:
Do More for 1 in 4 is a call to action to help the 1 in 4 American adults who live with a diagnosable, treatable mental health condition, and who can go on to live full and productive lives. Download the Do More For 1in4 Toolkit (4.6 MB).
Healing Trauma's Invisible Wounds focuses on the impact of traumatic events on individuals and communities. It centers around asking the person-based question: "What happened to you?" Download the Healing Trauma's Invisible Wounds Toolkit (4.8 MB).
For Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9th, the theme is Caring for Every Child's Mental Health. The national tribute will celebrate "Heroes of Hope", sharing the message that with the help of caring adults, children and youth can demonstrate resilience despite having experienced a traumatic event, with a special focus on children and youth who have been served in the child welfare system. Download Helping Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events (164 KB) and Heroes of Hope Challenge and other materials .
The following videos are available for learning more about mental health supports, and sharing with others: I Want To Be and Walking In Recovery (also available with Spanish text).
I encourage all of Washington's communities to join the nationwide efforts during May to promote mental health and recovery.
~Chris
NEWS AND EVENTS
Upcoming Training and Awareness Events
Washington State Integrated Community Mental Health Program services are authorized by the Social Security Act. These mental health services are funded by Medicaid and have been provided under a 1915(b) managed care waiver since 1993. The state is required to submit a waiver renewal request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) every two (2) years; next submission is scheduled for June 1, 2012. Upon CMS approval, the new waiver will take effect on October 1, 2012.
To view a draft of the waiver request go to: Draft 2-Year Waiver Renewal
To view the current Medicaid Mental Health Benefits Booklet go to:
Mental Health Benefits Booklet
Tribal Note: Consultation is scheduled for May 31, 2012.
Please send all waiver comments and questions to Tom Gray at tom.gray@dshs.wa.gov. Comments are due by May 22, 2012. When making comments, please reference the page number(s) in the waiver document to indicate the location of the subject matter.
May is National Drug Court Month, an annual celebration of the most successful criminal justice approach in our nation’s history. By month’s end, thousands of addicted individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated will have completed drug court, ready to embark on a new life of recovery, stability and service. Read more...
The National Prevention Week Web site is now available through SAMHSA.gov: http://www.samhsa.gov/preventionweek. The Website provides:
• An overview of this new national health observance;
• Background information about National Prevention Week, as well as its alignment with SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiatives and the National Prevention Strategy;
• The “Prevention Pledge,” which visitors can use to commit to a healthy lifestyle and print and share with others;
• A list of helpful community resources that support the prevention of underage drinking, prescription drug abuse, illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, and suicide; and the promotion of mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being.
An interactive version of the “Prevention Pledge” is also available through SAMHSA’s Facebook page. By taking the “Prevention Pledge” visitors can commit to a healthy lifestyle free of substance abuse, and share this pledge with friends, family, and loved ones.
In early Spring, the National Prevention Toolkit will be available to assist communities in planning and promoting National Prevention Week 2012 events. The Toolkit will include additional information on this national observance, event ideas, budget-saving tips, a planning timeline, tips and tools for event promotion (including templates for traditional and social media), fact sheets, and recommended resources.
We will share these resources directly with organizations receiving the National Prevention Week 2012 pilot site awards. Please share this Web site and the “Prevention Pledge” with community organizations, colleagues, and partners that you believe may be interested in observing National Prevention Week. We encourage you to share information about the “Prevention Pledge” on your agency’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, and link to the National Prevention Week Web site as well.
Through this initiative we hope to show how small actions can make a meaningful difference in preventing substance abuse and promoting mental health.
Thank you for your continued support and assistance! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about National Prevention Week 2012.
Sincerely,
Erin Schwille
(202) 326-1816
erin.schwille@edelman.com
