Mental Health Update

Dear Colleagues and Partners,

We are in the midst of some very difficult times. The tragedies of Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX and the 211 prior mass shootings so far this year, is taking a heavy toll on all of us but particularly to our children. Below is a compilation of resources from behavioral health leaders from across Region 2. Special thanks to those who included me in their email distribution. We hope these resources are of value to you. This compilation covers the following topics:

Support Resources Following Recent School Shootings
Specific to Gun Violence
Crisis Information
Helpful Documents/Links:
SAMHSA Resources & Technical Assistance Centers:
Funding Opportunities
Podcasts of Interest
Important Dates
Additional Resources

Support Resources Following Recent School Shootings: 

-Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) tip sheet, also available in Spanish
-Talking to Children about the Shooting NCTSN tip sheet
-SAMHSA’s Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series includes various resources intended for children and adolescents

Specific to Gun Violence:
-National Association of School Psychologists:
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers 

-Child Mind Institute:
Multi Lingual Trauma Resources
Going Back to School After a Tragedy

– American School Counselors Association:
Helping Students After a School Shooting

– American Psychological Association:
Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting

– National Center for School Mental Health:
Supporting Students, Staff, Families, and Communities Impacted by Violence

– The National Child Traumatic Stress Network:
School Shooting Resources
Parent Guidelines

– Safe and Sound Schools
Supporting Recovery Resource Toolkit
Planning and Preparedness Resource Toolkit

– Center for Resilience and Well-Being in Schools
Talking to Children When Scary Things Happen

– New Jersey:
MentalHealthCares – Call 1-866-202-HELP(4357)

New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline – Call 1-855-NJHopeline / 1-855-654-6735

-New York:
NY HOPELine – The HOPEline number is 1-877-846-7369. You can also TEXT 467369 to receive the same confidential services 24/7 NYS Office of Mental Health Crisis Prevention – Crisis Text Line – TEXT GOT5 to 741741 for anonymous 24 hour text line support

SMHRTC Resources:
www.mentalhealthednys.org/family-education-webinar-series
Family Education Webinar Series (free archived webinars and resources)
-Related to topic: Grief and Loss: Helping Youth Heal, Trauma 101 for Families and Caregivers, Coping with a Crisis (English and Spanish), Uplifting Black Joy, Using Positive Psych to Manage Stress in Children, Becoming a Resilient Family, Managing Stress with a Wellness Mindset

– Puerto Rico
Linea Pas 1-800-981-0023

– U.S. Virgin Islands
Call toll-free 800-985-5990
Text TalkWithUs to 66746
TTY for Deaf/Hearing Impaired: 800-846-8517

– SAMHSA
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 1-800-273-TALK(825
For Deaf + Hard of Hearing – Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255.

Helpful Documents/Links:
– NY Health Foundation: Addressing the Behavioral Health Needs of New York’s School Children

SAMHSA Resources & Technical Assistance Centers:
– Northeast & Caribbean Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC):
– Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTC):
– Northeast & Caribbean Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC)
The Role of Prevention in Harm Reduction Efforts More Information
– Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center
– Publications and Digital Products

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Announcements: 
Tribal Opioid Response Grants
The purpose of the TOR program is to assist in addressing the overdose crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
NOFO Number: TI-22-006 
Application Due Date: Monday, June 27, 2022
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Behavioral Health Center of Excellence
The purpose of this program is to establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) to advance the behavioral health equity of Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian (NH), and Pacific Islander (PI) communities.

NOFO Number: FG-22-001
Application Due Date: Friday, July 8, 2022
State Opioid Response Grants
The purpose of this program is to address the opioid overdose crisis by providing resources to states and territories for increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD), and for supporting the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment,
and recovery support services for opioid use disorder (OUD) and other concurrent substance use disorders.

NOFO Number: TI-22-005 
Application Due Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellbeing Cooperative Agreement
The purpose of this program is to establish a national Center of Excellence (CoE) to develop and disseminate information, guidance, and training on the impact of children and youth’s social media use (risks and benefits), especially the potential risks social media platforms pose to their mental health; and the clinical and societal interventions that could be used to address these risks.

NOFO Number: SM-22-013
Application Due Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Cooperative Agreements for School Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth
The purpose of this program is to increase student access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care by developing innovative initiatives, activities, and programs to link local school systems with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems, including those under the Indian Health Service.

NOFO Number: SM-22-017
Application Due Date: Monday, July 25, 2022
Cooperative Agreements for Innovative Community Crisis Response Partnerships
The purpose of this program is to create or enhance existing mobile crisis response teams to divert adults, children, and youth experiencing mental health crises from law enforcement in high-need community(ies).

NOFO Number: SM-22-016
Application Due Date: Monday, July 25, 2022
All SAMHSA grant announcements and awards for the current fiscal year can be found here
Sign up for email updates about grant funding announcements here

Podcasts of Interest: 
Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network (pttcnetwork.org)
SAMHSA – Talk. They Hear You
Campus Drug Prevention – Prevention Profiles: Take Five

Important Dates & Public Awareness Campaigns:
LGBTQI+ Pride Month
PTSD Awareness Month
Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (6/8)
Anniversary of 1999 Olmstead decision (6/22)
National HIV Testing Day (6/27)
CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute (7/17-21)

Article:

Today (*5/27/22*), CDC released updated Operational Guidance for K-12 School and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning .
Additionally, CDC released Frequently Asked Questions for K-12 and Early Care and Education (ECE) Settings: Information for School and ECE Administrators, Teachers, Staff, and Parents
Frequently Asked Questions for Directors of Overnight Camps
and the Interactive School Ventilation Tool

The operational guidance can help K-12 school and ECE program administrators support safe, in-person learning for K-12 schools, and keep ECE programs open, while managing the spread of COVID-19. Based on the COVID-19 Community Levels this guidance provides flexibility so schools and ECE programs can adapt to changing local situations, including periods of increased community health impacts from COVID-19.

The updated K-12 schools and early care and education (ECE) guidance includes recommendations for prevention strategies for everyday operations as well as COVID-19 specific prevention strategies to add based on the COVID-19 Community Level or when experiencing an outbreak in the school or
ECE program. The updated guidance also includes considerations to inform decisions about when to add or remove prevention strategies, and which ones to prioritize.

Additional Resources:

Guide to Financial Recovery After Substance Use Disorder – www.moneygeek.com/financial-planning/resources/guide-financial-recovery-after-addiction/
Obtaining Insurance for Mental Health Care – www.moneygeek.com/insurance/health/navigating-mental-health-care/
SAMHSA Region II Webpage with general State and Territory information

Best regards,
Dennis

Dennis O. Romero, MA
Regional Administrator
*Pronouns: He, Him, His
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – DHHS Region II
Jacob Javits Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza, Suite 3337
New York, NY 10278
Off.: (212) 264-8097
Email: dennis.romero@samhsa.hhs.gov

Website: www.samhsa.gov /1-877-726-4727

Follow Me on Twitter @MHANYSCEO
www.mhanys.org
Glenn Liebman
CEO, MHANYS
194 Washington Avenue, Suite 415
Albany, N.Y. 12210