Trainings and Resources

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and resulting economic downturn are taking a toll on mental health for many Americans, with large shares of the public saying that related worry and stress is having a negative effect on their mental health.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing a State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding opportunity that will provide nearly $1.5 billion to states and territories to help address the Nation’s opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. In President Biden’s State of the Union, he named beating the opioids epidemic as a pillar of his Unity Agenda. Today’s announcement is a critical step forward in that work, and the SOR program, along with the Tribal Opioid Response grant funding opportunity announced recently, are critical tools in President Biden’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy released last month and the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy.

As overdose fatalities increase, reaching a historic peak of over 100,000 deaths in 2020, states are continuing to invest in strategies to improve access to treatment for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). This rise highlights the issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to SUD providers. Disruptions and changes in service delivery, and resulting changes in payment, have posed challenges to efforts to increase access to treatment. Policymakers in some states are starting to use the payments they make to providers and managed care plans as effective levers to increase both treatment access and service quality in their Medicaid programs. This toolkit, which is based on state interviews and documentation, examines Medicaid payment strategies that four states (Arizona, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania) use to improve SUD treatment for Medicaid beneficiaries

More than twenty percent of adults—or 1 in 5—experience a behavioral health disorder every year in the United States. Behavioral health disorders can be challenging to identify, screen for and treat, especially in rural communities and the supply of behavioral health providers often cannot meet the demand for services. This webinar highlighted state policy options to increase access to rural behavioral health providers, including leveraging telebehavioral health, considering licensing policies and compacts, utilizing emerging health professionals to address workforce gaps, and examining scope of practice policies for behavioral health professionals.

The National Conference of State Legislatures brings you up-to-date, real-time information about bills related to and responding to COVID-19 that have been introduced in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. You can search legislation starting in 2020 by state, topic, keyword, year, status or primary sponsor using the state legislation database below. You can further analyze this legislation using NCSL’s Power BI state legislation data visualization.

The presenter outlined the steps needed to effectively document, code, and bill for services including screening for SUD/OUD and providing care during the induction, stabilization, and maintenance phases of MAT. Individual state Medicaid issues are too numerous and were not specifically referred to on a state-by-state basis. Gary Lucas, MSHI, Arch Pro Coding

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched an online locator for individuals seeking access to monoclonal antibody therapeutic treatment for COVID-19. “Monoclonal antibodies treatments are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. Monoclonal antibodies treatments are given to help treat patients with COVID-19”. Individuals can use the interactive map or search for locations that have received the various therapeutic treatments. This data is based on shipments reported by the distributor, and is not a guarantee of availability. Note: Patients should coordinate with their respective physician or care provider before contacting a location to receive treatment. A call center is available to answer questions and provide information related to monoclonal antibody therapeutic treatments at the following phone numbers: 1-877-332-6585 (English Language); 1-877-366-0310 (Spanish Language)

Created by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) is an interstate compact that facilitates the practice of psychology using telecommunications technologies (telepsychology) and/or temporary in-person, face-to-face psychological practice.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States hit a record high in 2017, with an estimated 72,000  deaths. Over two-thirds of those deaths, roughly 47,600, were due to opioids.These  staggering numbers continued in 2018, as over 67,000 drug overdose deaths occurred, and  opioids were involved in rough 46,800 of those overdose deaths. This roadmap highlights existing state efforts and serves as a policy development tool for Governors and state officials seeking to improve coordination and bolster existing efforts across state agencies to address OUD among people involved in the justice system by expanding access to evidence-based medications.

Drug overdose is a continuing epidemic that claimed the lives of over 67,000 Americans in 2018. Opioids, either alone or in combination with other substances, were responsible for approximately 70% of these deaths. Many of these lost lives and other opioid-related harms are preventable through the timely administration of the opioid reversal drug naloxone and, where appropriate, other follow-up care.