A New Best Practice for Suicide Prevention
SAMHSA's Suicide Prevention Resource Center has added At-Risk for High School Educators to its Best Practice Registry for suicide prevention programs. At-Risk is an online interactive training simulation designed to prepare teachers to identify, approach, and refer students exhibiting signs psychological distress including depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. Users assume the role of a high school teacher and engage in [...]
NAMI Report
The National Alliance on Mental Illness released a report this month that included policy recommendations for states to consider including educating the public, families and peers about mental illness and incorporating behavioral health screening into primary care. The good news is that we’re on the mark here in Arizona as we’ve already begun to implement most of the national recommendations. [...]
Japanese Radiological Emergency
All of us are exposed to natural radiation on a daily basis. It mostly comes from space (called cosmic rays) as well as natural radioactive materials found in the soil, water and air. People can also be exposed to radiation from human-made sources like X-ray machines. Radiation doses are usually measured in units called milli-Sieverts. On average, people are exposed to [...]
AZ Bills Related to Marijuana
Controlled Substances A few years ago, an Arizona law was passed that established a Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program which requires pharmacies and medical practitioners who dispense Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances to a patient, to report prescription information to the Board of Pharmacy on a weekly basis. The purpose of this legislation is to improve the State’s [...]
Mental Health First Aid Rolling
The first round of Instructor Training for Mental Health First Aid was completedin Tucson and our efforts are already paying huge dividends. 23 new trainers graduated from the intensive 5-day training program and are now certified Mental Health First Aid Instructors! The new trainers include peers, family members, behavioral health providers, T/RBHA staff, Pima Community College and Cochise College employees, [...]
Cross-cutting Marijuana Team Hitting on All Cylinders
Under the provisions of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act we had 120 days to get the entire program up and running. A short timeframe for this complex program (to say the least). That gives us until close of business on April 13, 2011 to have everything ready. That means we’ll need to finish the Rulemaking (our goal is March 28), [...]