RECOVER e-works: Issue No. 25

An electronic circular of the Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery, a project of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies.

The Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery provides assistance to the New York City mental health provider community through expert trainings, focused technical assistance, evaluation, information dissemination and special projects.

May 2006

This issue:

• Boston University
• Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies
• Howie T. Harp
• Hunter College
• Kaiser
• Supportive Housing Network of New York
• US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• NYC Department of Homeless Services
• NYC Department of Human Resources Administration
• NYS Department of Health
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• US Department of Justice
• US Department of Labor

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies
• Hire Disability Solutions
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• NYS Department of Health
• NYS Office of Mental Health
• SAMHSA
• University of Pennsylvania Collaborative
• Urban Justice Center's Mental Health Project
• VESID

• Forbes
• Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Kaiser
• National Technical Assistance Center
• NYC Department of Homeless Services
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal
• University of Pennsylvania Collaborative

Education:

• Boston University's Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation has a webcast originally aired November 2005 with Dr. William Anthony speaking about the challenges to mental health leaders in transforming the system from one of control and symptom management to recovery-based system. More information.


• Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery will offer "Best Practices in Employment" as part of its "Opening the Door to Recovery" Core Competencies Training Series. This training is designed for front-line staff and supervisors who are interested in learning how to motivate, assist and support consumers pursuing employment. The training will be held at the Center at 90 Broad Street on May 23rd and 24th from 9am-4pm both days. More information or call 212-742-1600, ext. 235.
  
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  The Coalition's Professional Learning Center's Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) Training Series is sponsoring "Group Treatment and Self-Help" with Dr. Kim Mueser examining group treatment as a stage-wise intervention. The training will be held on June 16th from 1pm-5pm at The Lighthouse, 111 E. 59th Street. More information.


• Howie T. Harp is sponsoring "Transitions Training" on May 26th from 1pm-4pm at 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., 12 Floor. The training will provide information on access to transitional services for consumers with histories of incarceration. For more information call 212-865-0775.


• Hunter College's School of Social Work's Brookdale Center on Aging, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and others will host "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Older Adults by Integrating Mental Health, Public Health and Aging Services" on May 18th from 8:30am-12:45pm at 129 E. 79th Street. Included will be a keynote presentation by Dr. Lloyd Sederer, DOHMH's Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Health Services on "Depression, Social Isolation and the Urban Elderly". For more information call 212-481-4659.


• Kaiser: a webcast with a corresponding brief assessing the impact of recent changes to Medicaid through the Deficit Reduction Act for low-income women will be available May 11th from 9:30am-11am (EDT). More information.


• Supportive Housing Network of New York will hold its 6th Annual New York Supportive Housing Conference on June 1st. "Start Spreading the News" includes topics on the signing of the NY/NY III Agreement, best practices in financing and development and new models for service delivery. More information.


• US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association: USPRA with Schroeder Measurement Technologies (SMT) Inc. have created an online CPRP exam system beginning in October 2006. Individuals will have to locate a site through the SMT website that lists testing sites internationally. To locate a site go to www.smttest.com and click on Find a Testing Center on top. The next paper exam will be held in 23 cities October 28th with a July 15th deadline to apply. More information.

Funding and Grant Opportunities:

• (6/15)NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Treatment Program is seeking proposals that would operate an outreach program to serve children from birth to age 5 with collaterals to prevent and treat psychosocial issues. A total of $400,000 is available for a 3 year period. Proposals are due June 15th. More information.


• (7/14)NYC Department of Homeless Services has an RFP on Decentralizing Men's Intake. Proposals will demonstrate an intake process for single adult men experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness providing linkages to voluntary prevention services. Proposals are due July 14th. A Pre-Proposal conference is scheduled for May 31st. More information.


• (6/22)NYC Department of Human Resources Administration, Community Guardian Services has an RFP seeking vendors to directly provide Community Guardian services to incapacitated adults 18 years and older who are determined by law to need protective services. Proposals are due June 22nd. A Pre-Proposal conference is scheduled for May 16th. More information.


• (6/14)NYS Department of Health's Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Adult Health, Bureau of Health Risk Reduction announces the availability of funding under the Prevention of Childhood Overweight and Obesity - Activ8Kids! Initiative. A total of $1,350,000 funds are available. The deadline is June 14th. More information.


• (5/18)US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Family and Children Services/Homeless Services Street Outreach Program (SOP) will award 50 agencies up to $200,000 each to propose street outreach services. Included are education, intervention and prevention services. Proposals are due May 18th. More information.


• (6/6)US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice is seeking proposals for research and evaluation in the area of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation including residents in community and residential care facilities. The due date is June 6th. More information.


• (5/22)US Department of Labor: the Urban Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program is seeking proposals demonstrating ways to provide meaningful employment for homeless veterans stimulating effective delivery systems. The total funding pool is $7.3 million with 25 awards. Proposals are due May 22nd. More information.

News Briefs/Events:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: a special enrollment period is in place for Medicare individuals only who have not enrolled with Medicare Part D by May 15th and qualify for Low Income Subsidy or "Extra Help". For more information on enrollment visit the Coalition's website or call the Help Line Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-5pm at 212-742-1873.


• Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies will hold its 22nd Annual Mental Health Awards on June 8th from 5pm-8pm at the Pfizer Building at 150 East 42nd Street. Honorees will include the NYS OMH Commissioner Sharon Carpinello, noted author Bebe Moore Campbell and Alan Siskind. More information and tickets.


• Hire Disability Solutions has launched its website designed to assist individuals with disabilities with employment. Included is a job board and resume posting capabilities. More information.


• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has a screening tool for depression called the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Included are points to consider, signs and symptoms and treatment. More information.


• NYS Department of Health has announced that by June 2006 a phased implementation of groups of drugs will be added to the preferred drug list. This new program promotes the prescribing of less expensive, equally effective prescription drugs when medically appropriate. This comes from recommendations made to the Commissioner of Health by the Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. Postings on the implementation will be forthcoming at the Committee's webpage. More information.


• NYS Office of Mental Health has posted its Balanced Scorecard measuring specific agency progress in achieving the goals established by the OMH Statewide Plan for Comprehensive Mental Health Services (May 2006). More information.


• SAMHSA has posted a new matrix that depicts priority programs and guiding principles for future policy directions and resource allocations by the Agency. It includes suicide prevention and workforce development. More information.
  
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  Data released from a Capitol Hill briefing called "Community-Base Care Leads to Meaningful Improvement for Children and Youth with Serious Mental Health Needs" is available through SAMHSA. The data reinforces information that children and youth in systems of care spend less time in inpatient care. More information.


• University of Pennsylvania Collaborative: the Internet Peer Support Research Study for People with Mental Illness is seeking mental-health consumers interested in participating in an internet-based support group willing to use e-mail for peer/recovery support. More information.


• Urban Justice Center's Mental Health Project has information on Social Security's change to their fugitive felon policy. This pertains to SSI/SSDI beneficiaries who have lost their benefits due to an outstanding warrant. For more information call 646-602-5666.


• VESID has updated information on Supported Employment (SE) contracts for the renewal period beginning July 1, 2006 including changes in payment schedules. More information. View SE VESID staff contract assignment.
  
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  VESID will hold a Supported Employment (SE) Regional Meeting in NYC May 31st at the State Office Building, 125th Street at 1pm. The goal is to conduct a SE training needs assessment and to receive input from colleagues on planned revisions to the SE "Provider Guidelines". Pre-registration is required. More information.

Publications:

• Forbes has a publication called "Bipolar Disorder in the Workplace" (May 2006). The article describes individuals with this diagnosis and offers tips on disclosing information to an employer. More information.


• Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation: "Entrepreneurial Job Development: A Case Study with a Person with Schizophrenia" (March 2006) examines more employer-focused approaches to job development for people with schizophrenia including employee assets and workplace relationships. More information.


• Kaiser has a number of reports available:
  + long-term care policies addressed by the Deficit Reduction Act (April 2006): More information.
  + an online consumer guide "Talking About Medicare" (April 2006) including advice on Medicare Part D and its suitability for certain individuals and key considerations in selecting a plan: More information.
  + "The Stability of Medicaid Coverage for Low-Income Dually Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries" (May 2006)examines the stability of Medicaid coverage for dual-eligible beneficiaries: More information.


• National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning (NTAC) has a report called Phase II of "What Helps, What Hinders: A National Research project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators" (March 2006). Included is information on the Recovery Oriented Systems Indicators (ROSI) looking at services that enhance and hinder recovery. More information.
  
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  NTAC has added several white papers on trauma to the website. "Responding to Childhood Trauma: The Premise and Practice of Trauma Informed Care" (February 2006) includes characteristics of trauma and a close examination of the psychological effects of trauma on children. More information.


• NYC Department of Homeless Services has posted the results of the city's fourth annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE 2006), held on February 27 (April 2006). Results indicate a 13% decrease in street homelessness since last year's count. More information.


• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal: the spring 2006 issue of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal is a Special Issue on "Health Promotion for People with Psychiatric Disabilities". Articles include the creation of a framework for health promotion services, the benefits of physical activity and weight loss approaches. More information.


• University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration has a number of fact sheets including "The College Experience", "Leisure and Recreation Activities" and "Parenting with a Mental Illness". More information.