Rural Health
News by Topic: Behavioral health
Feb 1, 2023 - Announces that Senators John Barrasso, Tina Smith, Marsha Blackburn, and Michael Bennet have introduced The Rural Health Clinic Burden Reduction Act to provide regulatory relief for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). The bill gives RHCs guidance regarding the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, improves the ability of RHCs to provide mental health services, and removes outdated lab requirements.
Source: Office of Senator John Barrasso
Feb 1, 2023 - A study published in The Lancet says that premature "deaths of despair" have affected American Indian and Alaska Native communities more than white communities. American Indians and Alaska Native people were not surveyed in a 2015 study that looked at death rates for 45-54 year-olds from 1999-2013.
Source: NPR
Jan 30, 2023 - Highlights two programs on the Cherokee Nation reservation: a domestic violence shelter that provides a variety of the victim services, and the Cherokee Nation Harm Reduction Program, which offers syringe services to reduce drug use and keep clients healthier by preventing the transmission of blood-borne infections.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jan 26, 2023 - The Teachers and Parents as Partners program trains school psychologists and other specialists to encourage communication between parents and educators, to help solve children's behavioral and academic challenges. The project is in the midst of a five-year research project to create an online version designed specifically to help rural districts.
Source: NewsNation
Jan 24, 2023 - In July 2022 the federal government launched the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline, enabling people experiencing a mental health crisis to connect with professionals and services. The real launch will occur this summer, and rural communities are preparing for an increase in calls by training operators how to provide help to farmers and other rural residents.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jan 24, 2023 - Highlights a report from GoodRx Research, stating that more than 113,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) live in 492 counties that lack mental health providers. The study also found that counties with a higher population of AI/AN residents had a lower percentage of households with access to telehealth. States with the highest numbers of mental health deserts are Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Alaska. South Dakota and Alaska are among the states with highest numbers of AI/AN residents living in mental health deserts.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Luring Out-of-State Professionals Is Just the First Step in Solving Montana's Health Worker Shortage
Jan 20, 2023 - Montana lawmakers are considering proposals to make it easier for professionals with out-of-state licenses to work in Montana. House Bill 152 is designed to simplify the process for licensing more than 50 professions, including healthcare jobs.
Source: Kaiser Health News
Jan 19, 2023 - Federal regulators waived addiction telehealth restrictions due to COVID-19 so that appointments could be done virtually, but making these changes permanent is a topic of debate. The complexities of state and federal regulations have allowed some patients to administer methadone at home, while others are not allowed to do so.
Source: NewsNation
SAMHSA: Notice of Meeting for the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee
Federal Register
Jan 19, 2023 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) will hold a virtual public meeting of the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) on March 14, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern. The meeting will provide information on federal efforts related to serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED). The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the SAMHSA website before the meeting.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 18, 2023 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces new actions to reduce inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes and increase the transparency of nursing home information by publicly displaying survey citations that facilities are disputing.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services