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Children's Services

Don’t wait any longer — time is running out to take advantage of the early bird registration rate for the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity! Early bird rates end Friday, September 8, 2023. You can view our registration brochure to see our exciting lineup of sessions, keynote speakers, and activities, including networking and Connections Hall events, as well as information on booking your hotel room. Complete the brochure and reserve your seat at the early bird discount rate today!

We also wish to extend our thanks to those organizations that have already contributed and shown their support! Please note that all exhibitor booths have been reserved! However, you can still sponsor and advertise by completing our sponsor/exhibitor brochure today! As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released an updated HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Concussion Training for Coaches. The training provides important information to assist coaches identify signs and symptoms of possible concussions and steps to take if one occurs.

The objectives of the training include:

  • Describe what concussions are, how they occur, and at least one long-term and two short-term potential effect on an athlete’s physical and mental health;
  • Recognize at least two signs and two symptoms of a concussion you might observe during a practice or game;
  • Explain your role in determining if an athlete should be removed from a practice or game, and list four steps to take after a possible concussion occurs; and
  • Identify at least two ways you can prioritize concussion safety.

September is FASD Awareness Month (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder). This is an expansion of FASD Awareness Day that has been held each year on September 9 since 1999. People all around the world gather for events to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy and the challenges of individuals and families living with FASD. The first awareness day was celebrated on 9/9/99. This day was chosen so that on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, the world will remember that during the nine months of pregnancy, the safest option is to abstain from alcohol.

Statistics show that approximately half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and the rates of drinking during childbearing age are substantial; thus, there is ongoing risk of having children born who are affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol (Finer & Zolna, 2011; Green, McKnight-Eily, Tan, Mejia, & Denny, 2016). The estimated prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is conservatively around 1%; however, a recent study in North America found rates as high as 4.8% of the school-age population is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, indicating a significant public health concern (May et al., 2014; May et al., 2015). While research continues to be completed regarding this public health concern, September is a month we honor all who are living with FASD. We must remember to spread the word that the best information is 0-4-9. Zero alcohol four nine months. Please take time to join a social media group or an activity in your community to spread the word!

Please support RCPA and its members in celebrating FASD Month to bring awareness, education, and advocacy to this critical issue affecting children and families. If you have any questions or want to assist in promoting FASD Month, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

The Mental Health Planning Council, under the direction of the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), has extended the survey on delivering Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) until September 22, 2023. Agencies may access the provider survey directly and view the flyer for more details. Feedback will be de-identified and compiled by the Family Satisfaction Team of Montgomery County to be shared with relevant stakeholders and survey participants.

RCPA, on behalf of our members and those they serve, continues our efforts advocating for children, families, and practitioners delivering IBHS services. We respectfully ask our members to share this survey with families they are currently serving. The information will be utilized to examine challenges and opportunities in creating more viable pathways to IBHS services. Feel free to also share this information with other providers in your network of stakeholders.

If you have questions, please contact Clare Higgins or RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

At the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity, you’ll gain the opportunities for CEs and training while engaging directly with leaders in health and human services! Sessions will provide value to everyone, from nurses and DSPs to leadership and legal teams. View the full brochure here, and claim your early bird rate, your hotel room, and your discount today so you can earn CEs through workshops such as:

  • Walk the Talk: Working in the Behavioral Health Field When You, Yourself, Have a Mental Illness
    • Listen to Dr. Staley’s story of working within the behavioral health field when she herself was using evidence-based strategies to handle her own mental illness.
  • Disrupting the Great Resignation
    • Equip your leadership team with the necessary tools and skills for addressing barriers to employee engagement and retention.
  • Applied Tabletop Role-Playing Games – Change Through Play
    • Learn how you can use the power of role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, for capacity building, therapy, and educational goals.
  • Using System-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) to Reduce Acuity and Enhance Skill Acquisition in Individuals With Behavioral Health Challenges, IDD, and Autism
    • Reduce major risk events and workers’ compensation claims, and enhance functional levels and quality of life for youth and adults with behavioral challenges and ID/A through PBIS.
  • Applying Augmented Intelligence to Workforce Challenges and Care Delivery
    • Evaluate the types of augmented intelligence technologies available to clinicians in behavioral health and how they can improve care delivery.
  • Amplifying the Patient Voice: Using the Treatment Atlas Patient Experience Survey to Increase Engagement and Promote Quality Improvement at Your Facility
    • Discover strategies for completing the Patient Experience Survey (PES) to support your facility in better understanding patient populations, benchmark to state averages, and opportunities for quality improvement.
  • Termination Without Litigation
    • Learn how you can protect yourself and your agency through proper disciplinary practices and the importance of documentation.
Register today!

In addition to an impressive roster of speakers, our 2023 Conference will have an exciting array of sponsors and exhibitors. We thank those who have signed on thus far! **NOTE: EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE SOLD OUT.** If you are interested in sponsoring, visit here for more details or contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, with any questions you may have. Keep up-to-date and register today for #rcpaconf!

Image by photosforyou from Pixabay

Wednesday, September 6, 2023
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
REGISTER

Black and African American (B/AA) communities, especially those in rural areas, are often overlooked in discussions about improving mental health and substance use treatment services. There is a growing need for provider organizations to enhance the quality of care for B/AA individuals.

Join us for a powerful roundtable discussion about the impact of social justice concerns, COVID-19, and challenges of providing care in rural communities. As we build on the discoveries from previous focus groups, this event will amplify conversations regarding workforce shortages, accessible technology, and funding limitations, while highlighting solutions and provider recommendations to address these disparities.

This event is sponsored by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Morehouse School of Medicine’s African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. Victor Armstrong, MSW, national director of Soul Shop for Black Churches, will moderate the discussion with panelist representatives from:

  • Bootheel Counseling Services — Sikeston, Mo.
  • Georgia Pines Community Service Board — Thomasville, Ga.
  • NC Counts Coalition — Raleigh, N.C.

By attending the session, you will be able to:

  1. Discuss the current health care disparities of B/AA populations in rural areas;
  2. Increase your awareness of challenges regarding access, engagement, recruitment, retention, and outcomes for mental health and substance use care providers in rural areas; and
  3. Identify solutions and strategies for supporting community partnerships to reduce disparities.