News

In order to highlight pockets of excellence across the country, the NNED selects a partner organization to highlight once a month. Communities In Schools of Richmond (CIS) has been selected as the NNED Partner of the Month for February in observance for Black History Month.

CIS mission is to form the nation’s largest and most effective organization dedicated to keeping kids in school by bringing community resources inside public schools where they are accessible, coordinated and accountable. CIS Richmond services schools with high populations of Black and underserved diverse youth.

Some of the programs and services that are currently offered:

• Food Services
• School Supplies
• Health Care
• Counseling
• Academic Assistance
• Role Models

Learn more about Communities In Schools of Richmond and its mission to keeping kids in school.

View a list of previous NNED Partners of the Month.

In order to highlight pockets of excellence across the country, the NNED selects a partner organization to highlight once a month. African American Health Program (AFHP) has been selected as the NNED Partner of the Month for January in observance for Mental Wellness Month.

AFHP mission is to eliminate health disparities and improve the number and quality of years of life for African Americans and people of African descent in Montgomery County, MD.

Some of the programs and services that are currently offered:

• Maternal and Infant Health
• Diabetes/Heart Health
• HIV/AIDS/STI
• Cancer
• Oral Health
• Mental Health

Learn more about African American Health Program and its mission to eliminate health disparities in Montgomery County.

View a list of previous NNED Partners of the Month.

In the United States and globally, alcohol consumption is a major cause of preventable death and disability and increases liver disease, mental health disorders and accidents.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine explored U.S. trends in alcohol-related deaths from 1999 to 2020 overall as well as by age, gender, race and region, using the publicly available U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER).

Results of the clinical research study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, reveal that alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. have surged dramatically in the last two decades, with the mortality rate nearly doubling from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020. The total number of alcohol-related deaths soared from 19,356 to 48,870, a dramatic twofold increase. Every age group has suffered increases, with the most alarming spike – nearly fourfold – in those aged 25 to 34.

Alcohol consumption varies significantly by region worldwide and in the U.S. According to 2019 data, Latvia had the highest annual per capita consumption at 13.2 liters, followed by France at 12.2 and the U.S. at 10. Descriptive data on mortality reveal complex links between alcohol use and premature deaths. Latvia, for example, leads in alcohol consumption and ranks third in total deaths, while France, despite high alcohol consumption, has low cardiovascular mortality but high rates of cirrhosis and liver cancer. In contrast, Russian men have high alcohol consumption and an elevated rate of cardiovascular mortality. These patterns illustrate the complex interrelationships of alcohol consumption, premature death and disease, regardless of the beverage type.

Read more at EurekaAlert.org.

The Medical University of South Carolina has been awarded $1.75 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop and test the effectiveness and sustainability of the SC Rural Telehealth-enabled Collaborative Care Network (SC-RTECC). The SC-RTECC will deliver psychiatric collaborative care management to 1500 primary care patients over a five-year period in seven diverse, rural, underserved South Carolina counties.

The goal of the project is to test whether telehealth can be used to deliver psychiatric collaborative care management efficiently and sustainably at rural primary care clinics in South Carolina.

The project will be led by Ryan Kruis, Ph.D., director of grants and research at the MUSC Center for Telehealth, one of two HRSA-designated Telehealth Centers of Excellence. The Center will partner with 9 primary care sites in Bamberg, Calhoun, Orangeburg and Williamsburg Counties that are part of MUSC Health’s Regional Health Network, and 10 primary care clinics affiliated with Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, a federally qualified health center (FQHC).

Read more at EurekaAlert.org.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a new nationwide campaign to raise public awareness of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA). The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to improve maternal health and supports HRSA’s ongoing initiative to reduce maternal mortality and health disparities. While mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As part of the campaign, HHS will collaborate with companies and organizations such as retailers, grocers, pharmacies, and health and community associations to publicize mental health resources for moms and pregnant women in everyday locations. The first six Maternal Mental Health Champions announced today have thousands of locations and a broad presence in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman announced this campaign in conjunction with HRSA’s latest state Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative convening in Portland, Oregon.

The Biden-Harris Administration launched the National Maternal Health Hotline, a free confidential service offering 24/7 support from trained counselors via call and text in English, Spanish, and translation services in over 60 languages, on Mother’s Day in 2022 as part of the broader efforts to combat maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The professional counselors who answer Hotline calls and texts include licensed health care professionals, certified educators, and specialists. Counselors listen to callers’ needs and provide support directly, connect callers with local support groups and organizations, and/or refer callers to other health care professionals when more care is needed.

The new Maternal Mental Health Champions campaign will expand awareness of this important resource for mothers, pregnant women, and their families through specific commitments to promote the Hotline in Champions’ locations or sites across the country – for example by displaying the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline’s promotional materials in prominent locations for their patients or customers. Maternal Mental Health Champions may include retailers, grocers, pharmacies, health and community associations, and other organizations and leaders that make significant commitments in coordination with HRSA to promoting the Hotline to their customers, patients, or users.

Read more at HHS.gov.

In recognition of National Career Development Day, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced today the launch of the Behavioral Health Workforce Career Navigator, designed to help current and aspiring behavioral health professionals identify state requirements for a range of behavioral health careers. The navigator supports President Biden and Vice President Harris’ commitment to expanding America’s behavioral health workforce, a key element of the Administration’s Unity Agenda for the Nation.

“We need a behavioral health workforce that can meet our country’s needs. That includes helping current and aspiring behavioral health workers pursue their careers and thrive in their work,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The new Behavioral Health Workforce Career Navigator is an important tool towards improving the process of finding and comparing education, training, and licensure and certification requirements across the country. President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Unity Agenda continues to take on the biggest challenges facing Americans, including addressing our nation’s behavioral health needs.”

SAMHSA also published the Practical Guide for Expanding the Community-based Behavioral Health Workforce, which presents best practices for expanding community-initiated prevention and care and the role of behavioral health support specialists. It offers examples of community-based models of care and provides resources for communities working to ensure community members’ well-being.

Read more at SAMHSA.gov.