On Wednesday, February 2nd, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on "America's Mental Health Crisis." The full 42-member Committee heard testimony from: Dr. Wizdom Powell (Director of the Health Disparities Institute and Associate Professor of Psychiatry) focused on four main points, youth as a target population in the mental health crisis, the
On February 3, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a series of new reports from the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) that “highlight how pregnant and postpartum women who use substances and their children can benefit from evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies.” Based on a review
Two Senate Committees and one House Committee are focusing on the challenges of access to mental health and substance use services in the next few weeks. The Senate HELP Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the full House Ways and Means Committee are all focused on the subject and what can be done. The HELP
A newly published survey and research paper, Difficulty Obtaining Behavioral Health Services for Children: A National Survey of Multiphysician Practices, conducted before the pandemic indicates that 85 percent of group practices for children and youth have had difficulty in finding evidence-based psychotherapy; family-based treatment and medication advice from a child psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
On Thursday, January 27, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final numbers for the ACA sign-up for the coming year with a final record total of 14.5 million people have signing up. Open enrollment for the federal marketplace ran from November 1, 2021, through January 15, 2022. CMS indicated that
On Thursday January 27, 2022, CMS announced the availability of $49 million to fund organizations that can connect more eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals to health care coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Awardees—including state/local governments, tribal organizations, federal health safety net organizations, non-profits, schools, and others—will receive up to $1.5
Marking the first year of his term in office, President Biden held a nearly two-hour press conference on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, that touched on everything including the possibility of a revamped Build Back Better reconciliation bill. Since last December when Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) pulled his support for the $1.7 trillion package, talks have
Earlier this month, Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) announced this week’s hearing that will focus on shortfalls in mental health care for children and teenagers in America. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy will testify on a Surgeon General Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. In issuing the advisory
CWLA partnered with the SAMHSA-funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) to provide an informative and timely webinar centered on the intersection of child welfare and suicide prevention: considering the increasing stress brought on by the pandemic it is critical that we pay attention to this issue for children and youth, especially the most vulnerable. Moderated
On January 11, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Surgeon General of California, joined NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of children. Dr. Burke Harris is known for her work to incorporate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screenings in health care settings throughout California. During her interview, Dr. Burke Harris