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What’s New at the APA
- APA released a statement applauding Congress for passing the Strengthening Behavioral Health Parity Act (H.R. 7539) and including several key mental health and substance use-related programs in its combined $1.4 trillion year-end appropriations and COVID-relief funding package. The package included $6 billion for SAMHSA, $600 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCHBC), and an increase in funding for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Workforce Program, among other items. You can read more about the programs included in the year-end funding package here.
January Course of the Month –The Effects of Loneliness and Social Support on Mental, Cognitive, and Physical Health
Loneliness is the latest behavioral epidemic, affecting adults of all ages and resulting in poor mental, cognitive, and physical health. This course presents cutting-edge research on the role of loneliness, social isolation and social support in late life and presents evidence on the assessment of loneliness through speech with natural language processing (NLP), Alzheimer’s disease-related neuroimaging correlates of loneliness, and low social support as a predictor of early risk for nonresponse to psychotherapy for late-life depression using machine learning methods. Click here to access the Course of the Month and sign up for updates about this free member benefit.
Important Developments in Electronic Health Information Policy May Impact Your Practice
On April 7, 2020, APA, and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives hosted a webinar to provide an overview of the federal government’s new Final Rule on Interoperability and Information Blocking. During the webinar, the Office of the National Coordinator answered questions about how psychiatrists can best comply with this rule. That recording can be accessed on APA’s page on the issue.
Explore Fellowship Opportunities
APA Fellowships provide residents the experiential learning, training and professional development they need to be leaders in the field of psychiatry. The Fellowship programs offer opportunities to work with Congress on health policy, conduct research, expand access to care to minority and underserved populations, focus on child psychiatry or substance abuse, and much more. Visit the application portal to learn more about all Fellowships and how to apply. The application deadline is January 31, 2021.
https://www.psychiatry.org/residents-medical-students/residents/fellowships
New Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Guide – The BHI Compendium
APA, along with the major primary care organizations, is participating in an AMA-led coalition to advance the integration of mental health care into primary care. The coalition has developed a new BHI Compendium, a tool for physicians and practices to learn about behavioral health integration and the key processes involved to achieve the goal of optimal whole person care. Learn more at www.ama-assn.org/bhi-compendium.
Changes to ICD-10-CM Codes for DSM-5 Diagnoses
The 2020 release of ICD-10-CM includes new, updated or deleted codes for medical conditions, which have been approved within the past year. A few of these changes pertain to mental disorders, and thus affect the coding of DSM-5 Disorders. View the changes or download a quick reference:
Join AMNet: An Addiction Medicine Practice-Based Research Network
With funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, AMNet seeks to improve the quality of care for patients with opioid use disorder and serve as a platform for developing research towards more effective treatments. Please consider joining this important effort alongside addiction medicine and addiction psychiatrists from a range of practices.
Learn More at https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/registry/amnet
2019 Resident-Fellow Census
The field of psychiatry is growing and evolving, as evident by the changes seen in the psychiatric workforce over time. The APA Resident-Fellow Census creates a yearly demographic picture of our field’s residents—the future of psychiatry.
https://www.psychiatry.org/residents-medical-students/medical-students/resident-fellow-census
CPT Coding and Reimbursement Member Resources
Beginning on January 1, 2021, changes are coming to the way psychiatrists bill and document office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) services. APA has created a collection of resources for its members on these changes. To view them, click the link below and sign in with your member credentials.
New Substance Use Disorder Psychiatry Topic Pages
APA is dedicated to providing our members with the latest evidence-based prevention and treatment research to support individuals with substance use disorders. View our new topic pages on treating cannabis use disorders and tobacco use disorders, including clinical, training, and policy considerations. As new topics emerge, more resources and information will be added to this page.
APA Develops Model Telemedicine Language for States
The federal government, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia have taken action to further insurance coverage of telemedicine since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency. With states reopening, there have been concerns that some of these positive changes, such as payment parity with in-person visits, might be revoked. In response, APA created model telemedicine language for states.
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/advocacy/state-affairs/model-telemedicine-legislation
