Friday October 29, 2010

A one-day part of the 2010 Carolinas Conference on Addiction and Recovery will focus on drinking by college aged students.  The morning will include four plenary sessions covering the basic science of the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, studies of drinking behaviors in college aged people, the results from a study of SBIRT (screening, brief intervention and referral for treatment) on college campuses, and effective treatment of college students for problem drinking.

In the afternoon, Dr. Paul Grossberg will conduct a workshop entitled “SBIRT in College Students and Young Adults: Applying Motivational Interviewing Skills and Strategies in Busy Clinical Practices.”

CREDITS: 6 HOURS OF CME, 6 HOURS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR COUNSELORS
COST:  $125 (includes lunch and materials)

FOR INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
www.addictionrecoveryinstitute.org (click on Carolinas Conference) Or call 828-859-2277

To download informational flyer click HERE: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

• APNC Fall Conference– October 20-22, 2010
• Substance Abuse Services State of the Art Conference – November 2-3, 2010

Download more information including application, conference details, as well as scholarship requirements and requests HERE: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

What: LOC Meeting

When: Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Time: 10am

Where: Room 643, Legislative Office Building

You can download the agenda here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100826/ARTICLES/100829718?tc=ar

Most Dix psychiatric patients to be transferred by year’s end

BY SARAH OVASKA – Staff Writer

RALEIGH — The state-run Dorothea Dix Hospital will send away most of its psychiatric patients by year’s end, a move that raises questions about what will happen to the 306-acre campus.

Lanier Cansler, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, told hospital staff Tuesday that all but one unit of the hospital will close. Most patients will be moved to the new Central Regional Hospital in Butner and Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, resulting in new assignments for the 803 medical and support staff who work on the campus caring for patients.

“We want to make sure the patients are taken care of,” Cansler said in an interview. “We’re going to be maintaining the same number of beds; the costs will be significantly less.”

The call to shutter most of the programs that serve the 183 patients on Dix’s campus is a familiar refrain from the state, which has set closing dates for the Dix campus several times.

State officials decided in 2002 to close Dix and another hospital in Butner and replace them with Central Regional Hospital and by steering more patients to community-based programs. At the time, Dix had 390 beds for patients, about half of whom came from Wake County. The moves were supposed to save the state money, but as community-based services have failed and faltered in recent years, the state has struggled to find enough psychiatric beds to treat those on waiting lists around the state.

Dix was set to close in 2008, but a lawsuit over safety concerns with the new hospital in Butner led a judge to block the shutdown. There have also been extensive problems with patient abuse and neglect at Cherry in Goldsboro.

But this time, the state’s budget has all but sealed the fate of Dix, which became the state’s first mental health institution when it opened in 1856. The state legislature didn’t provide any money for Dix in this year’s budget, and there are available beds at the new Central Regional Hospital, which was designed to replace Dix, Cansler said.

“We have been forced to make some very difficult decisions to address this shortfall,” Cansler wrote in a memo sent to Dix staff.

Most of the staff will be offered jobs in Butner, a 45-minute drive from downtown Raleigh, or at Cherry Hospital, where 30 beds for adult patients are being added.

For more on this story click HERE.

“Understanding the Brain and Addiction: Treatment and Current Trends” Facilitated by Dr. James Finch
September 15, 2010
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Overview and Objectives:

• Outline the current understanding of the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors.
• Understand the adaptive process at work during recurrent drug use as well as during recovery from addiction.
• Understand the role of medication assisted treatment (MAT) as it applies to these neuro-adaptive processes during the treatment and maintenance of recovery.
• Recognize the scope and seriousness of the current patterns of opiod abuse as a public health problem.
• Outline prescription drug abuse trends in NC and current statewide initiatives.

Registration opens August 30, 2010. For more information, please contact Colleen Hughes at (919) 951-9703 or chughes@drugfreenc.org.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN: To download the registration form click HERE: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

To download an informational flyer click here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Sponsored by:
The North Carolina Centers for Prevention Resources (NCCPRs) and the Governor’s Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Certification Professional Development Webinar Training Series 2010 – 2011

• Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program (SAIOP)
• Intensive In-home Services (IIH)
• Outpatient Therapists (OPT)
• DUI class

Qualifications for Clinicians:

• Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
• Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS)
• Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)

ADETS certification is a plus

The services include: individual counseling, group and family counseling, training; strategies for relapse prevention to include community and social support systems in treatment.

Only therapists who are licensed/provisionally licensed should send a resume to: hr@hiswillworldwide.com

Cumberland County’s sobriety court will break new ground in September when it is called to order for the first time. Officials said the court will be the first in the state – and one of a few in the nation – to focus on people charged with drunken driving before they are convicted. There are few courts in the state that specialize in handling drunken drivers.

Prior to this fiscal year, only Mecklenburg County – with two such courts – had a dedicated DWI court, according to the state Administrative Office of the Courts. Cumberland is one of several counties planning to start a sobriety court this fiscal year.

The new court will work with people who have been convicted of a level 1 DWI – the most serious DWI charge – and who have since violated their court-ordered probation.

What will make Cumberland County’s court different is that it also will work with repeat offenders: people who are charged with additional DWIs while out on bond on drunken driving charges.

“We’re trying to get the most high-risk offenders that are in the population at large,” said District Court Judge Kim Tucker, who will preside over the court. “We’re looking for people that are on downward spirals of dangerous addiction.”

For more on this story click HERE.

Your comments/recommendations can be emailed to Flo Stein at flo(dot)stein(at)dhhs(dot)nc(dot)gov

As you prepare your comments/recommendations, please keep in mind these talking points (from the NC Substance Abuse Providers Federation):

• Require that Independent Assessments must be performed by licensed professional with a Substance Abuse background.  (Substance Abuse background is defined by being able to demonstrate via billing records that the individual has billed for substance abuse services within that last 2 years).
• Develop a process to better identify Substance Abuse clients with 1 or more admissions during a single calendar year to a state psychiatric hospital
• Ensure better monitoring of high-end user services, including a cost benefit analysis.
• Create better system to ensure good assessments are not duplicated for the consumer.
• Ensure services are available to meet assessment recommendations.

North Carolina will see $343 million dollars in Medicaid dollars and $300 million in funding for teachers and schools. Passage of this bill means that we will most likely not see the 1% across all department reduction as laid out in the budget technical correction bills.

The US House of Representatives has been called back to Washington, DC. This bill will be calendared for a vote on Tuesday, August 10.

The North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board is in receipt of numerous inquiries regarding the Board’s registration requirements concerning professionals providing mental health treatment services to individuals with substance related disorders.

Given that these mental health professionals provide services to different classes of consumers (some presenting no substance related disorders, some presenting co-occurring substance abuse issues, and some presenting exclusively substance related disorders), all professionals do not need to be registered with the Board. Only those individuals providing treatment for substance abuse would need to be registered with the Board unless specifically exempted as described below.

Furthermore, of the professionals providing services to these two groups, there are professionals specifically exempt from the requirement that they be credentialed by the Board to provide substance abuse services (as set forth in North Carolina General Statute 90-113.42 [a], [b], and [c]) as follows:
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person not licensed or otherwise credentialed as a substance abuse professional pursuant to this Article to engage in those activities set forth in the scope of practice of a substance abuse professional under G.S. 90-113.31B, unless that person is regulated by another profession or is a registrant or intern as defined by this Article.
(b) It is not the intent of this article to regulate members of other regulated professions who provide substance abuse services or consultation in the normal course of the practice of their profession.
(c) This article does not apply to any person registered, certified, or licensed by the State or federal government to practice any other occupation or profession while rendering substance abuse services or consultation or performance of the occupation or profession for which the person is registered, certified, or licensed.

If you have any questions about this issue, please contact the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board at 919-832-5975.

You can download the letter HERE: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Topic: Best-Practices in Depression Treatment
Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)

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To register for this meeting
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1. Go to https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/j.php?ED=141333072&RG=1&UID=0&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Register for the meeting.

Once the host approves your request, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting.

To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link:
https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/j.php?ED=141333072&RG=1&UID=0&ORT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

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For assistance
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1. Go to https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/mc
2. On the left navigation bar, click “Support” or You can contact :
mschoen@cmthealthcare.com

www.intercall.com

Study participants will have the option of entering a random drawing for one of four $100 gift cards in appreciation of participation.

For more information or to take the survey click HERE.

Secretary Lanier Cansler appointed Beth Melcher, PhD, and Steven Jordan to key leadership posts in Mental health/Developmental Disabilities/and Substance Abuse Services (MH/DD/SAS) within the NC Department of Health and Human Services today.

In a press release dated July 21, 2010, the highly anticipated announcement states, “Melcher has been named as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities,and Substance Abuse Services Development. She replaces Michael Watson, who is being promoted to the position of Deputy Secretary for Health Services.

Jordan will take over the position of director of the state Division of MH/DD/SAS. He will succeed retiring director, Leza Wainwright, who is stepping down from her position after 32 years of state service.

For more on this story click HERE.

The bill reads as follows:

It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully solicit or receive any
remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or
covertly, in cash or in-kind:
(1) In return for referring an individual to a person for the furnishing or
arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may
be made in whole or in part under this Part.
(2) In return for purchasing, leasing, ordering, or arranging for or
recommending purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or
item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under this Part.
(h) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully offer or pay any
remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or
covertly, in cash or in-kind to any person to induce such person:
(1) To refer an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the
furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole
or in part under this Part.
(2) To purchase, lease, order, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing,
or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be
made in whole or in part under this Part.
(i) Subsections (g) and (h) of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Contracts between the State and a public or private agency where part of the
agency’s responsibility is referral of a person to a provider.
(2) Any conduct or activity that is specified in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(3), as
amended, or any federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(j) Nothing in subsections (g) and (h) of this section shall be interpreted or construed to
conflict with 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b), as amended, or with federal common law or federal
agency interpretations of the statute.”

You can view the complete text of the bill HERE.

At the Advancing the Conversation: The Impact of National Trends on NC Conference May 26-27, Dr. Paula Horvatich of the Mid-Atlantic ATTC (Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network) gave a presentation on Addressing Workforce Issues in North Carolina.

Highlights of the Presentation:

• Workforce reports of the past decade – what do they say?
• Changing the paradigm – it’s a public health issue!
• Miscellaneous observations, trends, direction, initiatives.
• What are the implications for curricula?
• Curriculum infusion packages as resources.

You can download the complete powerpoint presentation here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Supporting Resiliency and Recovery

Friday, August 20th – Greensboro Marriott Downtown
9:30 am -3:30 pm

Topics and Speakers:

Why a Resiliency and Recovery Oriented System of Care is Important to People in Recovery

Steve Gumbley, New England ATTC

Parity- A National Overview – Dan Belnap, Legal Action Center

Health Care Reform – A National Overview & Dialogue on Implementation Issues – Dan Belnap, Legal Action Center

Implementation of Health Care Reform, Parity, and Resiliency and Recovery-oriented Systems of Care:

The Experiences of Pioneering States

Shannon Taitt, Director of Partners for Recovery, SAMHSA, Moderator

Michael Botticelli, Director of Substance Abuse Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Barbara Cimaglio, Deputy Commissioner for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, Vermont Dept. of Health.

There is no charge for this program, but registration is limited to an agency’s CEO and one senior manager.  To reserve your place at this event – go to Register Now button on the right side of this page!

Sponsored by SAMHSA, the SEATTC and the NC Division of MH/DD/SA

• Transition Timeframe for Full Critical Access Behavioral Health Agencies Implementation
• Revised CABHA Letter of Attestation Submission Process
• Update on Subcontracting between a Critical Access Behavioral Health Agency and another Provider Agency
• Extension of Case Management Services under Community Support Services
• Update on Community Support Team, Intensive In-Home and Child and Adolescent Day Treatment Training Requirements
• Community Support Team Service Revised Rate and Effective Date
• Community Support Team Revised Authorization Limit and Effective Date

To view Special Implementation Update #75 Summary click HERE.

This year’s School is designed to serve the needs of various persons working in the field of chemical dependency as well as school educators and health care professionals. Outstanding faculty possessing excellent credentials and expertise will present 23 concurrent track sessions, an opening speaker, a banquet speaker, and 23 mini-track sessions.

As in previous years, the 2010 Summer School will be affiliated with UNC-Wilmington. The university features a beautiful, spacious campus, modern facilities, and a commitment by the Division for Public Service and Extended Education staff to provide excellent service and an atmosphere conducive to the needs of School participants and faculty.

For more information on registration, schedule, and curriculum please click HERE (links are found on the left side navigation bar) or visit: http://www.ncfads.org/aboutschool.html

Highlights of Implementation #73

• CABHA Enrollment, Authorization & Claims
• New Authorization Process for Outpatient
• CS Case Management Component
• Revised Staff Training Requirements
• CABHA Update
• Provider Performance Report
• PRTF Nursing Coverage
• TCM Services for Individuals with DD
• Accreditation for DD TCM Providers

You can visit the division implementation webpage HERE.

The RecoveryNC festival was a huge success!  Thanks to everyone who participated!!

Click HERE to check out pictures and more from the event.

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Dear Providers,

RecoveryNC is hosting the First Annual Statewide Festival to celebrate North Carolinians in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction on August 21st in Greensboro.

The Festival will be a great opportunity to engage those in early recovery in a drug and alcohol free social atmosphere and for everyone in recovery to celebrate with family and friends.  Ways your program might participate include:

• Advertise the event at your program
• Bring  a van full of people from your community
• Join us with your staff, families and friends
• Become an exhibitor or vendor
• Identify arts and crafts vendors from former clients or friends
• Nominate a person from your community to tell their story on video

Next week, you will receive a letter in the mail with additional information about the festival — including a press release, copies of fliers and information for vendors. Please feel free to disseminate this information far and wide.

You can download the press release here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

You can download flyers here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

You can download Vendor information/registration here: RecoveryNC Festival Vendor Registration

For more information contact Donna Cotter via email or phone at 919-802-7972.

Highlights of the Presentation:

You can download the complete powerpoint presentation here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Strategic Managed Care Contracting: Defensible Pricing Models for Emerging Payment Methodologies

Agenda:

• Understand the major market changes which are driving a fundamental change in provider reimbursement methodologies
• How to prepare your managed care pricing strategy for emerging business models and payment methodologies (episodes of care, global full capitation with performance incentives, etc)
• Develop defensible pricing models based on the true cost of care delivered and adjusted pricing requirements to offset governmental and non-resource payers.
• Understanding where payer revenue reductions occur in managed care contracting and how to prevent revenue leakage
• Building your payer pricing rate templates by payer product type

For more information or to register CLICK HERE.

Jarrell was chosen as the “Goodwill Success Story” by Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, and her inspirational story was featured in the 2010 Goodwill Industries corporate video. Later, Christie received a scholarship to attend the Capitol Hill Advocacy Event in Washington DC.  At the event, she shared her story with members of Congress and was filmed with the President of Goodwill International, Jim Gibbins.

President and CEO of Goodwill International, Art Gibel will recognize Christie as the “2010 Goodwill Graduate of the Year” in November.

In May, Christie graduated from The University of North Carolina – Greensboro with a Bachelors of Social Work.

To hear more about Christie’s story, you can check out her success story on the Goodwill Industries website HERE.