Upcoming Training and Awareness Events

4.17:13 – Islander: Town hall about underage drinking

4.16.13 - Tacoma News Tribune:  Addiction treatment numbers likely to swell

2.27.13 - The Olympian: Study: 5 mental disorders share genetic link

2.25.13 - Spokesman Review: Experts warn effects of drinking impact us faster as we age

2.18.13 - The Columbian: Can mental health treatment help halt gun violence?

2.18.13 - Seattle Times: Bill tackles alcohol poisoning among underage drinkers

2.13.13 - Seattle Times: Painful tales of mental illness spur lawmakers to action

2.8.13 - NW News: Government Agency Feels Brunt of Increased Gun Permit Applications

2.6.13 - King 5: The Consequences of Mixing Energy Drinks and Alcohol

2.4.13 - USA Today:  Bring Mental Illness Out of the Shadows

2.4.13 - The Olympian: Mental health funds sought as help falls short

2.3.13 - Seattle Times: Time to Overhaul Washington State's Broken Mental Health System

2.1.13 - SAMHSA - One Response to the Newtown Tragedy

1.28.13 -The Olympian: New Plan to Avoid ER Visits Could Save State $31 Million

1.25.13 - Seattle Times: Changing How We Talk About Mental Illness

1.20.13 - Seattle Times Editorial  Prevent Active Duty Military from Committing Suicide

1.19.13 - Spokesman Review:  We need to nurture young brains

1.15.13 - Peninsual Daily News: Clallam To Expand Youth Treatment

11.15.12 - Mercer Island Patch: Mercer Island Drug Prevention Group Wins State Prevention Award

11.15.12 - USA Today: With Pot Legal, Police Worry About Road Safety

Public forums for rulemaking on Marijuana and liquor 

The Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB) will hold six evening public forums across Washington regarding the implementation of Initiative 502. The forums are an opportunity for interested citizens to meet WSLCB staff involved in implementation, be updated on implementation and to provide input to the Board for it to consider as it develops rules. 

The LCB will also hold a public hearing on February 27 in Olympia to collect comments on a proposed rule to revise WAC 314-02-107 to require liquor retailers to report liquor thefts.  Comments may also be emailed by Feb. 27 to rules@liq.wa.gov.

For details about these and other upcoming forums for public comment, visit: http://www.liq.wa.gov/pressreleases/2013-press-releases or http://www.liq.wa.gov/rules/proposed-rules

 

This state Department of Health announced the good news that  several key initiatives, involving many partners across our state, are working to reduce overdose deaths.  Fewer people in Washington died from prescription pain medication overdoses from 2008 to 2011, after an eightfold increase in deaths in the decade before. The overdose death rate dropped 23 percent, and the number of deaths dropped from 512 in 2008 to 407 in 2011.  Read more...

With the passage of Initiative 502 in Novermber many people have questions about marijuana in general, and especially about its potential impact on the health and safety of our youth.  The University of Washington - Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute has new informatoin on their website about marijuana. The information includes tips for parents about talking with children and teens about marijuana legalization. 

A new website (www.scopewa.net) is available to all DASA-TA and MHD-PI users. The System for Communicating Outcomes, Performance and Evaluation (SCOPE) will combine the functionality of the other two services into a single site. With a single login, you will be able to run both mental health and substance abuse related reports. All reports available on the two older sites will be available on SCOPE.

In addition to centralizing substance abuse and mental health reporting, SCOPE will give users several new analysis tools and features, including:

 Charting: after generating custom tables in the Analyzer, for most queries users will have the option of viewing the results as a chart. Vertical or horizontal bar charts, grouped bar charts and line plots will all be available.

 Saved queries: for routine monitoring, many users run the same query month after month as the data is updated. SCOPE will allow users to save queries and re-run them with a single click of a mouse.

 Expanded Access: regardless of your role in the treatment system, if you are a registered user of SCOPE you will be able to generate results for the state as a whole, any county or RSN in the state, and any treatment agency. To protect patient confidentiality, if you are generating results for a county or agency that you are not associated with, the results will be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.

If you are a registered user of DASA-TA, your username and password will work on SCOPE.  If you are a registered user of just the MHD-PI site, you will need to re-register on SCOPE.

DBHR's Adult Behavioral Health System - Making the Case for Change  document has been finalized.  Thank you to all who submitted recommendations and comments.  We will keep you posted on  next steps. 

DBHR's Children's Mental Health Key Activities for 2013-2014  has been finalized.  Thank you to all stakeholders who submitted thoughtful feedback.

(April)

Statewide news release: 2012 Healthy Youth Survey

Fewer teens use tobacco and alcohol; many need support for depressive feelings

Fewer students are smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, according to a recent survey of kids in our state. At the same time, a large number of students seriously considered suicide in the past year. The number of secondary school students who believe using marijuana is risky dropped to the lowest level since the state started collecting data.

The Healthy Youth Survey is taken every two years by students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in more than 1,000 public schools in Washington. More than 200,000 youth took part in the survey in October 2012 by answering a wide variety of questions about their health and health behaviors. All responses were voluntary and anonymous. The Healthy Youth Survey provides communities with needed information to make solid decisions about which health issues to focus on.

“The physical and emotional health of our youth is crucial to their success in school, in work, in personal relationships, and in their communities,” said Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Kevin W. Quigley. “It’s good to celebrate that fewer teens are using alcohol and tobacco, but it’s clear many teens need more support from the adults in their lives and from friends to make healthy choices and cope with challenges.”  Read more...

DBHR Recognized by CADCA: CADCA has named the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery its 2013 oustanding state member.  In their award letter CADCA wrote that "DBHR has rightfully earned this esteemed honor as a result of your commitment to community substance abuse prevention coalitions, continued work and support of the Drug Free Communities program, the implementation of the Prevention System Redesign as well as your significant investment through training and technical assistance to local leaders."  Read more...

Surveys Due from Behavioral Health Treatment Providers:  DBHR is currently conducting the 2012 Behavioral Health Treatment Provider Survey. It is available online (http://www.wabhtxprovidersurvey.com) for publicly funded mental health and chemical dependency treatment providers in Washington State.  The survey will collect baseline information on the use of evidence-based practices in services to children and juveniles, quality improvement efforts and staffing. Participation is crucial - we ask that providers complete the survey ASAP.  For further information contact Felix Rodriguez at 360-725-3761or  felix.rodriguez@dshs.wa.gov.

(February)

The Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), is in the process of submitting its 2014-2015 Uniform Application for the Mental Health Block Grant and the Substance Abuse Block Grant for federal funding of behavioral health services.  DBHR must submit this application to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by April 1, 2013.   Webinars for public comment about the needs assessment and priorities were held  in January and February. A copy of this presentation can be found at: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/dbhr/stakeholders.shtml.

New guide for parents: Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention

(January)

Workshop Feb 6  for Rule Changes: Residential Treatment Facilities 

The Department of Health withdrew the CR 101 statement of inquiry for chapter 246-337 which was filed August 18, 2010.  The original intent of that pre proposal was to update the residential treatment facility (RTF) rules to reflect federal and state regulatory changes and current business and professional practices.  Since that filing and five rules workshops, the department recognizes the additional need to consider the scope of places the RTF regulations and standards should be applied to, and to address 2011 legislation establishing the licensure of triage facilities.  The department filed a revised CR 101 on October 31, 2012 that expanded the scope of the proposed rule making.  The department will host rule workshops whereby interested parties are encourage to participate in the updating of the rules.  A RTF rules workshop will be held on February 6, 2012.  If you have any questions, please contact program manager, Barbara Runyon at (360) 236-2937 or email Barbara.runyon@doh.wa.gov.

(December 2012)

(November 2012 )

Washington awarded grant to help foster children with emotional disabilities

This project will focus on comprehensive planning to improve the social and emotional well-being of children in foster care. The primary goals of the grant are to streamline and standardize processes to identify and refer children for services, increase capacity to deliver evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care, and coordinate planning between professionals in mental health and childwelfare. Read more...

MeLinda Trujillo, a DBHR Behavioral Health Program Manager, received an Oxford House Founders Award at the Oxford House World Convention held in Oklahoma City on September 15, 2012.   The Oxford House Inc. Founders Award is given to men or women who have made a lasting contribution to the growth and success of Oxford House.  The award, a crystal glass flame, was inscribed:  MeLinda Trujillo, for her strength, dedication, wisdom, and tireless leadership for Oxford House.

New action guide by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration uses a case study approach to present resources that service providers, advocates, and practitioners can use to better understand and engage the community in responding to children whose caregivers are negatively impacted by mental illness, substance abuse, or trauma.

Jennifer Bliss joined DBHR in Oct. as the Office of Consumer Partnerships Program Manager. Jennifer comes to us from the OptumHealth Pierce Regional Support Network. Jennifer brings a range of experience and many skills to the Division. At Optum she has worked as a complaint/grievance specialist and quality analyst. She has extensive experience providing training on consumer rights and recovery-based approaches. Jennifer has a passion for recovery and for including consumer voice throughout mental health services and system.  She may be reached at blissja@dshs.wa.gov.

New notices about consolidating the Regional Support Networks, and rule-making for Triage Facilities, Standards for Administration, and Mental Health Treatment for Minors, have been added to DBHR's Notices and Rule-Making page.

More than 800 youth and adults from across the state participated in the Washington State Prevention Summit, presented by DBHR, November 4-6.  This year's theme was Prevention is EPIC: Empower, Promote, Innovate, Collaborate.  The Prevention Summit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen our prevention efforts as alcohol and other drugs become more available and promoted in our communities.   Lt. Governor Brad Owen presented State Exemplary Prevention Awards to the following individuals and programs for their remarkable achievements: Prevention Summit Awards.

DBHR has issued draft rules for licensing and certifying behavioral health agencies.  We are asking stakeholders to review the proposed rules for consolidation, and provide comments by November 29.  See Letter to Stakeholders,  Draft Program Requirements and Draft Admin Standards.

(October 2012)

A SAMHSA brief on issues facing returning veterans and available resources.  http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA12-4670/SMA12-4670.pdf

Healthy Youth Survey underway in Washington schools this week: Survey tracks tobacco, alcohol and drug use, and other behaviors that impact health

The latest issue of FOCUS newsletter is now available here.

Cheryl Wilcox began work as the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery's new Problem and Pathological Gambling Program Manager in September. Cheryl has worked with DBHR's previous Problem Gambling Program Manager, Linda Graves, supporting the program and providers. For the last three years Cheryl has focused on recovery support services while managing two federal grants: Access to Recovery and Washington Court and Recovery Enhancement System (WA-CARES). For information about DBHR's Problem Gambling Program, contact Cheryl at wilcocd@dshs.wa.gov.

DBHR Awarded Two SAMHSA Grants: System of Care, Improving Treatment for Adolescents.  Information about the grant awards is available in the following news releases:
Washington state awarded grant to help children with emotional disabilities
More Washington youth to receive services for substance use conditions

(September 2012)

 

Posted 9-10-12  The Washington State Prevention Enhancement Policy Consortium has completed a Substance Abuse Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Five Year Strategic Plan.  The purpose of this plan is to provide the best service to children, individuals, families and communities in our state, through building a healthy, nurturing and safe environment in Washington communities.  DBHR would like to thank all of the partners involved in contributing to and reviewing the plan. 

 

Sept 12: 1st Annual Walk to Raise Awareness about Suicide among Native Americans

Several Tribal groups, as part of the National NNEDLearn 2012 Training sponsored by SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity, have organized the nation’s 1st Annual Walk to Raise Awareness about Suicide among Native Americans for Wednesday, September 12, 2012 in conjunction with National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-15).   Read more…

Posted 9-6-12

Oct. 13: Webinar on Revised National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

On September 10 the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the Office of the Surgeon General released the revised National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP).  The Suicide Prevention Resource Center will host a Research to Practice webinar on the revised NSSP for our field on October 3, 2012. To learn more about that webinar and to register, please visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/278794616.  If you would like to share or gain ideas related to advancing the NSSP in your organization/sector, please contact Emily Barocas, our Director of Communications, at ebarocas@edc.org.

Posted 9-10-12

First Annual “Above the Influence” Day Planning Webinars: Sept 6 & 12

Join the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy on October 18, 2012, for the first ever National “Above the Influence” (ATI) Day. Taking place during National Substance Abuse Prevention Month in October, ATI Day will be a time to celebrate youth living the “Above the Influence” lifestyle as well as recognize the power of prevention efforts in local communities.

This annual tradition will reinforce ATI as a central substance abuse prevention tool on the national level and among community partners, key stakeholders and youth around the country.

The ATI Team is providing a webinar on how to prepare for the first ATI Day by organizing an ATI activity, event or youth experience that supports your respective missions. During the webinar, you will have an opportunity to hear from coalition leaders who will share key learnings on how they have implemented ATI in their communities.

The ATI Day Webinar is being offered on two dates – register for a session now by clicking the date below that best first your schedule: Thu, Sep 6, 2012 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT  or Wed, Sep 12, 2012 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT.  Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.  For more information on “Above the Influence” and to download the ATI Activities Toolkit and other FREE resources, visit www.ATIPartnerships.com.

Agency Affiliated Counselor Application Pilot Program

Under a new pilot program, applicants for Agency Affiliated Counselor may submit an application to the Department of Health prior to obtaining employment with an approved agency.

Although applicants will not receive a state license prior to an employment with an agency, the Department of Health will begin the steps of processing the applications upon receipt.

The goal of this pilot program is that Agency Affiliated Counselor applicants can more quickly obtain licenses after the department receives verification of the counselor's employment.

For additional information, see the Application packet, or call the DOH Customer Service Office at 360-236-4700.

DOH Tobacco Quit Line Available Again to Residents of Washington State

The DOH Tobacco Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW) is once again available to the uninsured and underinsured in Washington state. Anyone who lives in our state is now eligible for at least one call to the quit line. 1-800-QUIT-NOW is a free service to help you or someone you care about quit using tobacco. Different people need different resources as they try to quit. The quit line can support both your immediate and long-term needs. Our coaches can talk to you about overcoming common barriers, like dealing with stress, cravings, irritability, and weight gain. The quit line is available in both English and Spanish with translation and TTY services. It is open 7 days a week. 24 hours a day except the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Julián Gonzales Selected DBHR Certification Section Supervisor

I am pleased to announce Julián Gonzales has been selected to serve at Certification Supervisor for the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery.  Dennis Malmer, our former Certification Supervisor, is now leading our state’s Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment program.

As a Certification Section lead worker, Julián has been an integral member of the section’s management team. Julián has many years of experience conducting on-site surveys of treatment providers across the entire continuum of care as well as school based, tribal, county and state operated programs. He has a deep and comprehensive knowledge of federal statutes and state rules and policies, including how they relate to treatment and the quality of care. This knowledge and understanding will be critical as we continue our efforts to support providers during the WAC rewrites and the transitions that will occur with implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Comments Requested for Children’s Mental Health Redesign Plan – Due by Sept 15.

Given the many requests for a broader timeframe for review and comment on the Draft Children’s Mental Health Redesign Plan, DBHR is extending the feedback time until Friday September 14th.  Please submit your feedback to Rebecca Kelly  by 9/14.  We will continue to move forward with required implementation activities during this time.  Thank you to all who have submitted excellent and thoughtful feedback to date.  We are grateful for your interest, investment and partnership in improving our children’s mental health system.  The final plan will continue to be a living strategic plan with regular updates informed by youth, families, and system partners.

Please see the Draft Children's Mental Health Redesign Plan.

(August 2012)

Washington State Recruitment Notice:  Problem Gambling Manager, Closes 8/24

Washington State Recruitment Notice: Problem Gambling Manager, Closes 8/24

Nominations for Prevention Awards Due August 27

We are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2012 Washington State Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Awards. Please see the Announcement and Nomination Packet for more information and to check out the expanded award categories.  Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 27th and will be accepted online using Survey Monkey™, via email or fax.

Preventing Suicide: A Tool Kit for High Schools

This new SAMHSA tool kit assists high schools and school districts in designing and implementing strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health. Includes tools to implement a multi-faceted suicide prevention program that responds to the needs and cultures of students.

Stay Involved With Your Teen Over Summer To Guide Healthy Choices

The Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking offers tips for parents in a new article:  Summertime, and the living is easy...www.StartTalkingNow.org. 

DSHS schedules public hearings on proposed Lummi Counseling opiate substitution treatment program

The Department of Social and Health Services has scheduled two public hearings in Bellingham to receive comments on plans to add an opiate substitution treatment service to an existing chemical dependency treatment program. The program would serve people who are dependent on opiates, such as heroin and OxyContin. Read more…

(July 2012)

Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration begins July 19

On March 13, 2012 DSHS announced Washington state was selected  to participate in the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration project.  This Demonstration is designed to test whether Medicaid beneficiaries who experience a psychiatric emergency receive more immediate, appropriate care when psychiatric hospitals receive Medicaid reimbursement. See news release.   

Beginning July 19, CMS will provide federal match dollars to the state for Demonstration-eligible individuals (ages 22-64, Medicaid eligible, and who are experiencing a mental health related emergency medical condition) who are admitted to our state’s three non-government psychiatric hospitals (Fairfax Hospital, Navos Mental Health and Lourdes Counseling Center).  This means that the equivalent amount of state dollars will be freed-up to invest in our mental health system.  We are currently planning with our project partners how to invest these dollars to meet the Demonstration goals to increase psychiatric services capacity and to reduce psychiatric boarding in community hospitals.

DBHR is very pleased about our participation in the Demonstration and we look forward to improving our mental health system to better serve mental health consumers.

Summer Issue of FOCUS E-Newsletter

The summer issue is now available here.  If you have news or a success story to share for the Fall issue, please email deb.schnellman@dshs.wa.gov.  

(June 2012)

Message From Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams on Affordable Care Act Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court this morning upheld the Affordable Care Act, the most extensive reform of American health care since the creation of Medicare in the 1960s. This historic ruling means Washington state can continue in its role as one of the leaders in expanding health care coverage to hundreds of thousands more people in a more equitable system, where people are not denied coverage or have to pay surcharges because they or their children have a pre-existing condition and don’t have to face lifetime limits on their medical care.

The Supreme Court’s ruling means the Department of Social and Health Services can continue our innovation in the integration of care for individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. It means tens of thousands of our clients can look forward to having access to health care coverage in January 2014, children aging out of foster care can get coverage until 26 years of age and quality improvement efforts can continue to reduce return hospitalizations for nursing home and long-term-care patients.

Perhaps most importantly, the ruling means that we have a lot of work to do to make sure that this historic transition in health care coverage is successful for our clients. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Gregoire, our colleagues at the Health Care Authority and the Health Benefits Exchange, our Aging and Disability Services Administration, Economic Services Administration and ISSD, Washington and the Department are well prepared to make this transition.

Health and wellness play a key role in the lives of the individuals and families we serve. I will rely on your knowledge and skills to help our clients benefit from a new era in health care.

Thank you,

Robin Arnold-Williams

Secretary

June 28, 2012

Nearly One-Fourth of Suicide Victims Intoxicated At Time of Death.  Almost one-fourth of suicide victims in the United States are legally intoxicated at the time of death, a new study has found.  People who commit suicide while intoxicated are much more likely than those who are sober to kill themselves by violent means, such as using a firearm, falling or hanging themselves, Fox News reports.  The researchers analyzed the blood-alcohol levels of almost 58,000 people who committed suicide. They found 22 percent overall were drunk when they died—24 percent of men, and 17 percent of women.  “One hypothesis is these were individuals responding to major life stressors or crises, who engaged in drinking with a firearm present within a few hours of taking their lives and became disinhibited by the alcohol,” Kaplan told Fox News. “They were drinking excessively in order to make it possible to die by suicide.”  The study appears in the journal Injury Prevention.

Rainier Says No To Teen Drinking.  The Rainier City Council has passed a law that aims to curb underage drinking. It goes into effect June 21.  If an underage gathering involving alcohol occurs, Ordinance 607 will hold responsible the person who owns, rents, leases or controls the property where the party happened. Breaking the law will have civil repercussions, including fines. It’s only the second such "social host" law in the state, following Mercer Island.  Planning partners and supporters include TOGETHER!, Target Zero Thurston, local law enforcement and judicial representatives, the Rainier Community Coalition, the state Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, and the state Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery. For more information on social host laws and how alcohol affects teens, go to www.liq.wa.gov or www.niaaa.nih.gov.