Multiple Systems Navigator

Mental Health Crossroads

An exploration of the many intersections between mental health issues and intellectual and developmental disabilities. You are invited to learn more about these issues from our monthly interview episodes with professionals, self-advocates, and experts.

Save The Date!

1st Annual NYSB5 Statewide Parent Leadership Conference is here!

Please join us for our first all-day conference engaging parents across the state in receiving tools and resources to navigate New York's early childhood system, grow in their role as leaders and advocate for their families and communities at large.

Over 14 topics to support you, your family and leadership while understanding early childhood system in New York!

Click here for event flier.

For questions, please contact us at nysb5conference@choiceforall.org or at 518-544-2955.

New York State Office of Mental health is conducting a Statewide Virtue Town Hall with Commissioner Ann Sullivan, M.D., presenting and taking feedback on several key priorities under the OMH Strategic Plan. This event will provide the public an opportunity to learn more about the OMH vision for the future of behavioral health services in New York State.

OMH is dedicated to providing individuals and families access to quality, integrated services and supports that foster recovery and well-being; public input is crucial in assisting the agency in meeting the needs of all of the people we serve.

The town hall will be held online, with available in-person attendance at 44 Holland Avenue in Albany (OMH Central Office) for those who prefer to be on-site. Comments and questions can be received both online and in-person.

Registration will be available soon at: https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/planning/507/

Please contact Ben Rosen at (518) 474-1897 for any questions.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is seeking applications for new members for the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel (CAP) for Special Education Services representing the constituency “Individuals with Disabilities.”

CAP functions in an advisory capacity to NYSED's Office of Special Education and advises the Governor, Legislature and Commissioner of Education on unmet needs in the education of children with disabilities in New York State.

CAP members are appointed for a three-year term by the Commissioner of Education and serve without compensation. However, reasonable and necessary expenses for attending two in-person meetings each year at the State Education Building in Downtown Albany and performing duties are reimbursed.

Individuals interested in becoming a CAP member representing the constituency of "Individuals with Disabilities" should send a cover letter and resume to:

New York State Education Department
Office of Special Education
89 Washington Avenue, Room 309 EB
Albany, NY 12234

Additional information can be found at the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel (CAP) for Special Education Services website.

Questions may be directed to Sandra Cote, Associate in the Special Education Policy Unit, at 518-473-2878 or speced@nysed.gov

Children's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Providers

On October 1, 2019 Medicaid Managed Care Plans (MMCP) will begin to pay for Children/Youth eligible and enrolled in HCBS. HCBS Providers are encouraged to reach out to MMCPs regarding the Children/Youth your agency currently serve.

Please click here for other related information.

Check it out Youth ERA! It will blow your mind with their newest online product - YouthEmpowerment.com. This new peer-led website is designed to offer support and help to young people through tough times. The website is home to articles, resources, and original content written by young people for young people. Youth ERA uses the strength of this web-based platform to empower youth on their mental health journey—giving them the tools they need to not only survive but to thrive.

This is a keeper, Network Faithful. Go to the site, put it in your bookmarks, and share it far and wide. Excellent work Youth ERA!

If you are in immigration detention or are facing deportation, may may have a lot of questions about what will happen to your children. It is normal to be worried and feel overwhelmed. But there are things you can do to help ensure that you do not lose your rights as a parent because you are detained or deported.

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and its partners have been conducting follow up on the 2018 System of Care (SOC) Summit recommendations identified by statewide participants.  One request was for the state to support continued implementation and maintenance of SOC efforts statewide. Toward that end, the NYS SOC Pilot has engaged Policy Research Associates to design a curriculum to be used in local SOC planning efforts. 

The agency seeks up to 60 seasoned trainers/facilitators to facilitate day-long action planning events for local SOC teams.

Please click here for more details. Make the nomination Today! 

This August, two major research reports focused on the need for mental health training on campus. The American Council of Education surveyed college presidents, and Barnes & Noble surveyed college students.

Read more the surprising link that these two groups have in common.

The U.S. Department of Labor Announces Funding

To Support Employee Policy Development For Youth With Disabilities

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the award of $4 million for a four-year cooperative agreement to operate a policy development center focused on youth with disabilities. The center will build on the work of the Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.

During the performance period, the awardee – the Council of State Governments – will develop and manage the center. The center will conduct research, engage with the workforce system and its partners, identify effective policies and practices that support youth with disabilities, and provide resources and training to help support the transition of youth with disabilities to employment.

"The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy is intent on making a difference in the lives of youth with disabilities," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Jennifer Sheehy. "Using evidence-based practices and proven collaborative strategies with the Council of State Governments' management of the Center, we can develop policies that help these young people transition from school to adulthood and to make a valued contribution to the workplace."

Click here to learn more about ODEP and this cooperative agreement.

The NYS Home Visiting Coordination Initiative (HVCI) has scheduled webinars for September, October, November, and December. Please register today!

HVCI Upcoming Webinars:

NYS-AIMH (NYS Association for Infant Mental Health) Endorsement on Sep 9, 2019 10:00 AM ET.

Self-Care on Oct 21, 2019 10:00 AM ET.

Diversity and Inclusion on Nov 14, 2019 11:00 AM ET.

Perinatal Networks on Dec 10, 2019 10:00 AM ET.

HUD announced plans to launch a new Foster Youth to Independence Initiative that will offer Housing Assistance to Youth and Young Adults aging out of the foster care system.

The demand for psychiatric services is outpacing the availability of clinicians. But there is a solution to this escalating problem – telepsychiatry.

Telepsychiatry has proven to be an extremely effective solution for many organizations by providing psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and licensed clinical social workers who connect with your patients through simple-to-use technology.

When you partner with innovaTel Telepsychiatry, you don’t get a “one-size-fits-all” approach to care. You will interview our clinicians and select the best fit for your team – a clinician who will seamlessly collaborate with your on-site staff and document concurrently in your electronic medical record.

And innovaTel has recently expanded their clinical team to even more states and will cover the cost to get providers licensed in additional states.

innovaTel Telepsychiatry, one of National Council for Behavioral Health’s strategic partners, is already providing telepsychiatry services to many National Council members and stands ready to support more. If you’re looking to hire additional clinicians, innovaTel’s telepsychiatry model could be the solution you’ve been looking for!

To learn more about how a telepsychiatry partnership could work for your organization? Check out the innovaTel, schedule a meeting to connect with a telepsychiatry expert or email Lauren Lashbrook, Director of Strategic Partnerships, at Lauren.Lashbrook@innovatel.com.

If you know of other agencies that are in need, innovaTel would love to connect with them.

New Free Tools Gives New York State Agencies and Schools the Ability to Assess Trauma-Informed Care Practices

TRUST (Trauma Responsive Understanding Self-Assessment Tool)  is a strengths-based organizational self-assessment tool that provides organizations with a point in time “snapshot” of where they are in their journey towards becoming trauma-informed. The tool employs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 10 Implementation Domains as a framework for guiding survey participants through a sequence of questions to assess implementation of trauma-informed care practices within their organization. TIC-OSAT allows organizations to view aggregated survey results from their leadership and staff and display these results within a concise, real-time report along with recommendations for bolstering Trauma-Informed Care practices. 

TRUST-S (Trauma Responsive Understanding Self-Assessment Tool for Schools) is a strength-based organizational self-assessment tool that provides educational settings with a point in time “snapshot” of where they are in their journey towards becoming more trauma-sensitive and informed.  The tool employs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 10 Implementation Domains as a framework for guiding survey participants through a sequence of questions to assess implementation of trauma-sensitive educational practices.  The TRUST-S allows schools and districts to view aggregated survey results from their administration and staff.  These results are displayed within a concise, real-time report that offers recommendations for bolstering trauma-sensitive practices. 

This assessment can be used for initial benchmarking, as well as repeated at selected intervals to gauge progress and identify next steps.

The survey takes about 12-15 minutes to complete and is anonymous to allow for authentic staff assessment of their organization.

If you already have a login account, click Here To Use These New Tools Right Now!

OR

Please contact us at training@ccsi.org for further questions.

Family Peer Advocate 2 Day In-Person Trainings: More Dates Announced! 

The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) is a training program that introduces new Family Peer Advocates (FPAs) to their role and to the skills they will need to effectively engage and empower parents.

This training is a combination of online modules, a 2 day, in-person training and 12 coaching calls.  Completion of the PEP training is a requirement for the Family Peer Advocate Professional Credential. Registration is open for additional Level 2 in-person trainings statewide. 

Registration forms and more information about the PEP training and FPA Credential can be found on the FTNYS website under the Workforce Development tab.