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Where mission
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Welcome to the March 2024 issue of Prenatal - 5: Grow & Thrive - HCA’s monthly newsletter about our behavioral health work in the early years of life.
We welcome you to keep reading to find out more of what’s happening in the P-5 behavioral health world, including the Maternal Mental Health Learning Collaborative, the IECMH Statewide Tour report, and a special spotlight on Perinatal Support Washington Warmline peer volunteers. If you’ve missed earlier editions of this newsletter, you can find them on our IECMH webpage, under IECMH updates.
Note: Prenatal – 5: Grow & Thrive is a spin-off newsletter of HCA’s Prenatal – 25: Thrive newsletter, which focuses on behavioral health for the entire age span of pregnancy to early adulthood. If you missed it, check out the most recent edition of the P-25 Thrive newsletter.
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Washington selected for Maternal Mental Health Learning Collaborative
At the end of January, Washington was selected as one of eight states and territories to participate in the Maternal Mental Health Learning Collaborative (MMH LC) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). As part of this Learning Collaborative, Teresa Eltrich (CQCT) and Christine Mickelson (DBHR) will examine, identify, and work towards implementing best practices and promising approaches for supporting perinatal mental health.
The Learning Collaborative will begin with an in-person kickoff meeting at SAMHSA headquarters in Rockville, Maryland in March and will continue through August 2024. Teresa and Christine are looking forward to sharing information, gathering feedback and exploring ways to advance access to perinatal mental health in Washington.
Watch the IECMH Statewide Tour Report presentation
In the summer and fall of 2023, HCA’s IECMH team conducted listening sessions with behavioral health providers across the state. The IECMH Statewide Tour Report includes IECMH best practices and challenges shared by providers during these listening sessions, as well as HCA’s new IECMH priorities and action steps.
HCA staff presented a review of the report findings virtually on March 20th, and a recording of that presentation and presentation slides are now available online.
Have questions? Attend the April HCA IECMH Office Hours to talk more with HCA staff about the report findings and next steps. Learn more in the Events section below.
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Professional development on mental health assessment for young children
Still haven’t attended a DC:0-5 training or have new staff that need DC:0-5 training? Attended a DC:0-5 training but want to learn more? The following professional development opportunities are provided at no-cost by the IECMH-WC, and they are open to providers who serve children and families enrolled in Apple Health.
DC:0-5 Clinical Training Office Hour: April 16, 2024. 2 to 3 p.m. (virtual) | During Office Hours, DC:0-5 trainers are available to answer questions around the use of the DC:0-5 for those who have attended DC:0-5 Clinical Training.
DC: 0 – 5 Clinical Training: May 29-31. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. (virtual) | This training is designed to support mental health professionals in developing in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5. This training will be facilitated by Jamie Elzea, MSW, MPH, LICSW, IMH-E and Lisa "Lou" Olson, LICSW, IMH-E.
MHAYC Billing Webinar
April 3, 1 to 2:30 p.m. (virtual) | This webinar will review guidance on billing and clinical policy related to Mental Health Assessment for Young Children (MHAYC). It is designed for mental health clinicians, billing and coding staff, and agency administrators. Please note that this webinar will be recorded and available to view online. In addition, any changes in guidance will be marked in the webinar slides, which will be available online.
HCA’s IECMH Office Hours
April 25, 1 to 2 p.m. (virtual) | The HCA IECMH team offers quarterly virtual office hours to support providers and organizations on topics related to IECMH and Apple Health (Medicaid). April Office Hours will include time to discuss and respond to questions on the recently published IECMH Statewide Tour Report and Apple Health IECMH Service Models Toolkit.
Join from our IECMH webpage, under Office hours.
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The Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA) Warm Line offers free phone, text, and email support for individuals and families around Washington. The warm line is staffed by peer volunteers who help parents get connected with mental health resources, create wellness plans, identify valuable resources, share stories, or just listen.
If you have lived experienced with a perinatal mental health issue like depression, anxiety, loss, infertility, trauma, or others, and want to help support other parents through their struggles, you may be eligible to become a Warm Line Volunteer.
PS-WA provides all the training and support you need to answer calls, including on perinatal mental health issues, how to offer peer support, helping to build wellness plans, and more! Volunteers offer peer support, wellness planning, and resources and referrals to callers on a short term (2 weeks) or long term (up to 3 months) basis, and they have access to Warm Line staff to answer questions or debrief calls. The next Volunteer Training is scheduled for April 27-28, so if you are interested in applying to become a volunteer, please visit the PS-WA webpage to learn more.
“Volunteering…allowed me to see the ability I held to help others. I could use my own perinatal experiences to provide support and understanding to those calling. I felt very isolated postpartum and craved community. Being a Warm Line volunteer allows me to extend community and resources to women like myself. I’m able to assist women in a way I wish I could have helped myself.” - Emily R., Warm Line Volunteer
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Subscribe to get the Prenatal - 5 Grow and Thrive e-newsletter each month.
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Learn more by visiting the IECMH webpage for recent project updates.
If you have any questions about this newsletter, please email us.
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