Greetings faithful readers. While we were at the University of Maryland Training Institutes a couple of weeks ago, several Network followers expressed special appreciation for the music selections we include each week to kick off Friday Update. Here is a special request that we think fits right in with our vibe. Put your headphones on, crank up the dial, and enjoy Bill & Annie, by John Koerner and Willie Murphy. Network faithful Jamie particularly likes the refrain “Don’t let the bastards wear ya down.” Yep, Jamie, we are feelin’ ya on that one. Enjoy the song and then get to readin’ Friday Update, cuz we got work to do!

Most important reads for this week

Suspension of the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices: The Importance of Adhering to the Evidence
Recently the United States Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use disclosed having suspended the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, stating it was so deficient in both rigor and breadth that it must be replaced. However, a closer examination of her claims about the Registry indicates many of them to be inaccurate. Contrary to her assertions, the Registry is not devoid of medication-assisted treatments for opioid use; nor does it contain but a scant few interventions related to schizophrenia and psychosis. Moreover, many of her criticisms regarding rigor pertain to reviews completed since late 2015, when the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration altered key aspects of the Registry.

Socrates Junior Inquires About Medically Assisted Treatment
Enjoy this Morning Zen post about a mythical protagonist named “Socrates Junior,” who is on a quest to make sense out of recent decisions by SAMHSA to abolish the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). The post was written by a research scientist who has asked to remain anonymous.

Evidence-Based Policy: How is it Faring in the Trump Era?
The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science just published a collection of papers on evidence-based policy in the July 2018 volume of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. The volume, which offers an expansive overview of the movement toward evidence-based policy approaches, contains 17 papers by leading experts or policymakers. The papers explore the history and significance of the evidence-based policy movement, its foundation in empirical research, and the vital role of program evaluation in that research. The papers also address the major elements of the movement, the contributions of government and non-governmental institutions to evidence-based policy, and the views of policymakers. This is a good read, Network faithful!

Enhancing Skills for Peer Support Providers: Research on the AMP+ Skills Enhancement Training
Be sure to put this webinar hosted by Pathways to Positive Futures on your calendar for September 18th! Research on peer support in mental health consistently cites a lack of clarity around the role and its skills as a barrier to high-quality implementation. This webinar reports on a study testing the AMP+ skills-enhancement intervention for peer support providers working with youth and young adults. AMP+ provides web-based training and video coaching that is specific to the peer role. Peers reported high satisfaction, improved their skills, and reported reduced work-related anxiety.

Three Reasons Trump’s New Immigration Rule Should Make Your Blood Boil
Once again, the Trump administration is looking to punish immigrants. And once again, innocent children are getting hurt in the process. This time, however, many of those innocent children are likely to be U.S. citizens.

Surviving Parkland: A Teen’s Road to Recovery After a Mass School Shooting
Once, Kyle had been excited for the Military Ball, a springtime event to honor the students in the junior ROTC program. He and his friends were going to rent a limo. They were going to dance all night. But now the 15-year-old can’t dance, thanks to a heavy medical boot that encases his foot and calf. Some other students are skipping the event entirely, still too traumatized to handle large crowds. No one can say how long it will take his mental scars to heal.

One Year After the Charlottesville Riots and Still No New Kerner Commission
When I turned on my television around this time last year, I didn’t realize that I was witnessing a white supremacist rally less than two hours from my home in Virginia. My then-10-year old daughter, whose eyes were also glued to the television, asked me, “Why are those people screaming at everyone? This looks really scary, mommy.” ~ Nicole Turner-Lee ~

Rural Areas Have The Highest Suicide Rates And Fewest Mental Health Workers
There isn’t a single psychiatrist in 65 percent of nonmetropolitan counties, and there’s no psychologist in almost half of them. There is a severe shortage of mental health workers across the U.S., but the problem is most pronounced in rural areas. There isn’t a single psychiatrist in 65 percent of nonmetropolitan counties, and almost half of those counties don’t have a psychologist, according to a report from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine released this month.

Become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor With the National Council
As a trained Mental Health First Aider, you know that one 8-hour course can make a world of difference when it comes to improving the way we understand and respond to people with mental health and substance use problems. You can take your passion for Mental Health First Aid one step further by applying to become a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and receive training in Philadelphia from August 27 – 29. Here is your chance to become certified to teach the Youth Mental Health First Aid course in your community, giving more people the skills they need to reach out and offer support to a young person who may desperately need it.

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