Headlines: Elinore McCance-Katz Joins SAMHSA as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use

August 28, 2017 Subscribe SAMHSA Headlines—Your one-stop source for the latest from SAMHSA. Data   |    Resources   |    Events    |    SAMHSA News Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., Joins SAMHSA as the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz has joined SAMHSA as the first Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. In this role, she works across federal agencies to bring the full force of the government to bear in support of the clinical priorities identified by Secretary Thomas E. Price to address the opioid epidemic and focus on the treatment and care needs of Americans with serious mental illness. Data New Report Finds 12th Grade-Aged High School Dropouts Are More at Risk for Substance Use A new SAMHSA report reveals that substance use was more likely among 12th grade-aged dropouts than among 16- to 18-year-olds who were still in school. Twelfth grade-aged dropouts were more likely to have engaged in past-month use of cigarettes (55.9 vs. 20.2 percent), alcohol (41.1 vs. 33.7 percent), binge alcohol (31.8 vs. 22.1 percent), illicit drugs (31.4 vs. 18.1 percent), marijuana (27.5 vs. 15.6 percent), and nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs (9.5 vs. 4.6 percent). Report Reveals That About 1 in 8 Children Lived With at Least One Parent Who Had a Past-Year Substance Use Disorder About 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) aged 17 or younger lived in households with at least one parent who had a past-year substance use disorder (SUD), according to a new report by SAMHSA. SUDs are characterized by recurrent use of alcohol or other drugs (or both) that results in significant impairment. Resources New Podcasts and Webinars From the Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) IECMHC produces podcasts and webinars on important topics related to mental health consultation, including the implementation of strategies that are part of their technical assistance approach. Find podcasts and webinars to help you implement mental health consultation services or improve existing IECMHC programs. Events August 28, 2017 Communities Addressing Trauma and Community Strife Using Trauma-Informed Approaches, Part Five: Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: Understanding the Impact of Historical Trauma on Communities Part five of the webinar series will highlight a broad range of unique and innovative strategies that include educational and culturally sensitive trauma-informed initiatives to promote healthy communities. August 28, 2017 Trauma-Informed Innovations in Crisis Services, Part Five: Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: The Ali Forney Center Part five of the webinar series will feature a presentation from staff at the Ali Forney Center (AFC) in New York City, the largest program dedicated to meeting the needs of LGBTQ homeless youth in the nation. AFC provides a comprehensive range of services to LGBTQ homeless and street-based youth, including a drop-in center, mobile outreach, and emergency housing. August 31, 2017 Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) Inaugural Meeting and Public Comment The ISMICC reports to Congress and federal agencies on issues related to serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED). The committee will hold its first meeting on August 31, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Members will review information on federal advances related to SMI and SED. To join the August 31 meeting by teleconference, dial 1-888-469-0942 and enter passcode 4560055#. September 11, 2017 Key Considerations for Building a Quality Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Model, Part 1 The Center of Excellence (CoE) invites you to register for Part 1 of a two-part series on IECMHC Models. The webinar will provide a deep dive into components of the Models Section of the IECMHC Toolbox. SAMHSA News Subscribe Enhancing Trauma-Informed Approaches in Behavioral Healthcare Learn why addressing trauma is important to recognize and consider when addressing mental and substance use disorders.