Friday Update

Friday Update 2-3-17

February 03, 2017

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Friday Update 2-3-17

Greetings faithful readers. Let’s start off this edition of Friday Update with the inspiring version of the Bob Marley anthem “Get Up Stand Up performed by Playing for Change. Get inspired, and then get to readin’ Friday Update, cuz we got work to do!

Most important reads for this week

While You Are Busy Watching President Trump’s Endless Stream of Shenanigans, the House Is Quietly Working to Dismantle Medicaid
This past Wednesday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled, “Strengthening Medicaid and Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable.”  The focus of this hearing was all about exclusion, continuing the troubling drumbeat we are hearing from Republican leaders about strategies for capping Medicaid or moving to state block grants to “prioritize the most vulnerable,” as the title of the hearing euphemistically suggested.  Hearings like these are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to erode the most important safety net for children and families this country offers. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and speak out.

Call your Senator to “Just Say No” to the Devos nomination!
For a refresher,  read my Zen posts from last week and the week before.

Popvox Has Made It Easy for You to Tell Your Senator What You Think About President Trumps Nominees   
Our friends at PopVox have created a web page that makes it easy for you to let your Senators know how you feel about any and all of the President’s nominations for cabinet and agency positions. Start by telling your Senator to vote no on the Devos nomination! 

30th Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health is Just Around the Corner!
You can save fifty dollars off of the conference registration by registering by February 10th. Heck, with the cash savings you could pick up a pair of sandals and Bermuda shorts to fully embrace sunny Tampa, Florida in March. What could be better?

Speaking of the Conference, Need a Room at the Host Hotel for the Conference Rate?
Yep, I have got a few rooms at the conference rate available that I have been holdin’ on to, but am now ready to release. They are available on a first come first serve basis. If interested, send me an email with your arrival and departure date. Hurry! We don’t want you sleepin’ at the bus station!

Since we know you just love Friday Update…
The number of people who read Friday Update continues to grow, but very few pay for it. As a reminder, we do not accept federal funds or money from pharmaceutical companies. We rely solely on your generosity to keep the Network alive and Friday Update coming to you weekly. As well, I do not take a salary for my work, so every penny of what you donate goes directly to supporting the only independent voice in children’s mental health advocacy. If everyone who reads Friday Update, who likes it, grooves to the videos, gains knowledge through resources shared, and gets inspired by Morning Zen, helps pay for all of this goodness, we can keep this independent Advocacy train going!

Strengthening Medicaid as a Critical Lever in Building a Culture of Health
The National Academy of Social Insurance has released a new report, Strengthening Medicaid as a Critical Lever in Building a Culture of Health, announcing “a series of steps that would enable Medicaid to build on its essential role as an insurer of more than 70 million people and increase its capacity to address the underlying social determinants of health.” 

New State Checklist: Medicaid-Related Provisions Impacted by an ACA Repeal
NASHP, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), presents a  checklist for all states that identifies key requirements of the ACA that impact state Medicaid and CHIP programs and poses questions for state officials to consider in preparing for actions that may need to be taken upon repeal. 

Getting People Leaving Prison and Jail the Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment They Need: What Policymakers Need to Know about Health Care Coverage
This discussion paper funded the Bureau of Justice Assistance identifies key questions and issues policymakers should consider when seeking to help people leaving prison and jail connect to needed mental health and substance use treatment. The paper provides examples of local practices and legislative and administrative actions drawn from 30 states.  

How to Be An Effective Spokesperson
This online course covers the role of a community-level public health spokesperson and how to effectively craft and deliver messages for media interviews. Take the course to learn about recent audience research and message testing, best practices and tactics for effective message delivery, and opportunities to practice these communication skills. Continuing education credits are available.

Promoting Children’s Health in Early Care and Education Settings by Supporting Health Consultation
This IMPACT report summarizes research on the role and benefits of health consultation in early learning settings, and reviews policies, regulations, training, and payment structures used to support health consultation in Connecticut and other states. The report also provides a framework for Connecticut to better integrate health into early learning systems through health consultation.

I Am Not Your Negro 
“Whatever you think about the past and future of what used to be called ‘race relations’ — white supremacy and the resistance to it, in plainer English — this movie will make you think again, and may even change your mind.”  (New York Times review)  

Research To Practice: Building Supportive and Inclusive Programming for American Muslim Youth
In today’s environment, incidents of bullying against Muslim youth have risen, resulting in concern for schools and youth organizations. This blog post summarizes an interview with Sameera Ahmed, Ph.D., Director of The Family and Youth Institute and a leading researcher on American Muslim youth, about what mentoring practitioners can do to build supportive and inclusive programs that meet the needs of Muslim youth and families, while promoting the safety and inclusion of all participants.

Compulsory Mindfulness in all Primary Schools
One of our Network faithful from across the pond has come up with a novel petition campaign focused on making mindfulness training a compulsory part of UK education. I love the spirit and encourage our UK Network Faithful to sign the petition. For those of us in the US, pretty intriguing, yes? Here is a quote from the petition that rings true everywhere:

 

  • The system is not going to change, but compulsory MINDFULNESS for all primary children could provide them with vital tools to protect their mental wellbeing. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and bad behaviour and improve self-esteem.

C’mon UK Network Faithful, sign this petition!

The America Donald Trump Is Inheriting, By The Numbers
Interesting article from NPR that compares the state of the nation in 2009 and how it stand now, as President Trump assumes his presidential responsibilities. This one is for all of you policy wonks out there in Network land. 

The Obama Administration Digital Transition: Moving Forward
Good news for those interested in accessing materials posted on the Whitehouse website during the Obama Administration. Information from the past eight years is now available on the obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Check it out! 

 

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scott

Scott Bryant-Comstock
President & CEO 

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