# Presentation: 149511

##      Mental Health Services                             

*APHA Late Breaker Session: Improving Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services to Returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan: Dialogue between returning veterans and service providers and other health professionals*

- A. Kathryn Power, MEd
***Director, Center for Mental Health Services***

- The Center for
-      Mental Health Services
- (CMHS)

## 	The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new feature for veterans. Call for yourself, or someone you care about: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1. Your call is free and confidential.

- 	The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new feature for veterans. Call for yourself, or someone you care about: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1. Your call is free and confidential.

- Special Feature for US Military
-  Veterans

**Notes:**
Mental disorders are one of the top three conditions that lead veterans to seek care from the DVA, Antonette Zeiss, Ph.D., Deputy Chief Consultant in the Office of Mental Health Services at the VA Central Office. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is by far the most common diagnosis. Veterans also come in complaining of depression, anxiety, mood disorders, sexual dysfunction, and substance abuse.  [from SAMHSA News May/June 2006].

Note: 30.9% MH statistic was pulled from Returning Vets Conference presentation.

## Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness

- Broward County, FL
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Contra Costa County, CA
- Denver, CO

- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- San Francisco, CA

## CMHS will award grants to eight communities within the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) that demonstrate on applications a history or well-developed plans to address children and families of veterans regarding mental health issues. 

CMHS Federal Project Officers for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program monitors State service providers to ensure that they maintain a solid capacity and commitment to serve Veterans – and ensure that clinicians are aware that mental health issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety disorders, and clinical depression, often compounded by co-morbid substance abuse, are issues that are often directly related to the individual Veteran’s homelessness. 

CMHS annual PATH Grant Request for Applications (RFA) provides language to all State provider agency, asking them to describe how special consideration is given in awarding PATH funds to entities with a demonstrated effectiveness in serving homeless veterans. 

- CMHS Federal Project Officers for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program monitors State service providers to ensure that they maintain a solid capacity and commitment to serve Veterans – and ensure that clinicians are aware that mental health issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety disorders, and clinical depression, often compounded by co-morbid substance abuse, are issues that are often directly related to the individual Veteran’s homelessness.
- CMHS annual PATH Grant Request for Applications (RFA) provides language to all State provider agency, asking them to describe how special consideration is given in awarding PATH funds to entities with a demonstrated effectiveness in serving homeless veterans.

- Efforts

## Efforts cont’

- CMHS has had on-going participation in the Consumer Council of the Veterans Administration’s  Serious Mental Illness Committee. This has included consultation on the following:
- addressing stigma
- developing self-help approaches
- promoting the concept of recovery
- CMHS' Statewide Family Network Program, which provides information, education, and support to families with children who have serious mental health challenges, has grantees who have been using their grant funds to provide outreach and support efforts specifically to families where there is a family member serving in the military and the children are experiencing mental health issues.

## Transforming Mental Health Care in AmericaStructure and Process

- Federal Executive Steering Committee
- on Mental Health

- Federal Partners Senior Workgroup

- Federal Action Agenda (Living Agenda-Yearly Summary)
- Action Steps

- Cross Agency Task Specific Workgroups

- Priority Workgroups

- Ongoing Workgroups

- Consumer and family-driven care                            Homelessness and Housing
-  Criminal and Juvenile Justice                                   Information Technology
-   Federal/National Partnership for                               Public Education
- Children’s Mental Health (FNP):                            Research
- Youth-Guided Policies and Services                 State System Transformation
- Early Identification                                              Workforce
- School Based Mental Health Services

- Employment
- Finance
- Primary Care and Mental Health Integration
- Reintegration -Veterans and Their Families
- Suicide Prevention

## Federal Action AgendaFederal Partner Senior Workgroup for Mental Health

| Department of Agriculture
Department of Defense
Education
Administration on Aging
Administration on Children                      and Families
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Centers for Disease Control
Center for Medicare and Medicaid  Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
 | Indian Health Service 
National Institutes of Health
  -NIAAA, NIMH, NIDA
Office for Civil Rights
Office on Disability
Office of Public Health and Science
Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Social Security Administration
Department of Transportation
Veteran’s Affairs |
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