CMS Is Testing New Community-Based Mental Health Service Model
The goal of the new behavioral health services system is to boost access and quality. Meanwhile in New Jersey, a new law lifts one barrier for providing online therapy in hopes of aiding the mental health crisis. Serious police failures during the Uvalde mass shooting are also in the news.
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Unveils Integrated Mental Health Pilot Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is testing a new community-based behavioral health services model that aims to improve access and quality, the Health and Human Services Department announced Thursday. Under the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model, physical and mental healthcare providers will form interprofessional care teams with community organizations, which will coordinate care for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees with mental illnesses and substance-use disorders. (Bennett, 1/18)
NorthJersey.com:
NJ Law Removes Barrier For Online Therapy To Ease Mental Health Crisis
New Jersey mental health professionals can now practice in 31 other states thanks to a bill Gov. Murphy signed into law Wednesday. Bill S3061 also lets licensed counselors from other states practice in New Jersey through telehealth services, bypassing the need for multiple state licenses. Developed in response to the mental health crisis that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, the law aims to ease the shortage of mental health practitioners as reports of depression, substance abuse and suicide are on the rise. (Myers, 1/19)
If you need help —
Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
Also —
NPR:
TBIs Can Affect The Brain Long After Abuse Ends
At least one in four women — and a much smaller proportion of men — experiences intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The resultant injuries, like brain trauma, can affect people for the rest of their lives. Domestic violence often looks like repeated blows to the head or frequent strangulation, which hurt the brain triggering brain cells to die or by depriving it of oxygen. And when those incidents happen again and again, they can trigger a slew of other mental problems: PTSD, memory loss, difficulty thinking, and even dementia. (Hamilton, Ramirez, Barber, and Cirino, 1/19)
On gun violence and its effect on mental health —
The New York Times:
Justice Department Finds ‘Unimaginable Failure’ in Uvalde Police Response
A near-total breakdown in policing protocols hindered the response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 people dead — and the refusal to rapidly confront the killer needlessly cost lives, the Justice Department concluded on Thursday after a nearly two-year investigation. The department blamed “cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy and training” for the delayed and passive law enforcement response that allowed an 18-year-old gunman with a semiautomatic rifle to remain inside a pair of connected fourth grade classrooms at Robb Elementary School for 77 minutes before he was confronted and killed. (Sandoval, Thrush and Goodman, 1/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
What to Know About ‘Significant Failure’ Described in Uvalde Massacre Report
The report points to a number of missteps after the shooting that made matters worse. Hundreds of parked and locked law enforcement vehicles blocked ambulances from responding and, once law enforcement went into the classroom, children with gunshot wounds were tossed into school buses to be driven for help. “The parents had just witnessed their child coming out of the building covered in blood,” the report said. “The parent was running to get their child and instead, due to this interaction, the bus with their injured child left the grounds.” (Findell and Gurman, 1/18)
NPR:
Harris Is Leading On Gun Violence Prevention. Will It Reach Young Voters?
Vice President Harris says young voters could create a "sea change" on the issue of gun violence prevention if they turn out and vote. It's an issue that the Biden campaign says will help motivate a key part of its base of support — and one where it sees Harris as being an effective messenger. "On this issue, it is a lived experience," Harris told U.S. mayors in Washington on Thursday, describing what she's learned from talking to younger people about the gun violence epidemic. (Sullivan, 1/19)
The 19th:
Gun Safety Group GIFFORDS Names Emma Brown As New Director
In news shared exclusively with The 19th, GIFFORDS, the gun safety advocacy organization founded by former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has named veteran campaign manager Emma Brown as its new executive director. The group recently marked its 10-year anniversary, and as the 2024 races shape up it is looking to connect with purple- and red-state voters around gun safety and gun violence prevention. (Gerson, 1/18)
