SOMETHINGS

I’m thrilled to announce that SOMETHINGS is partnering with NC Department of Health and Human Services and Alliance Health to offer Somethings for free to any teen in North Carolina regardless of insurance coverage. North Carolina has been devastated by the recent hurricanes, and the long term impact of the natural disasters will leave a profound impact on the states youth. As families focus on rebuilding, we’re prioritizing the mental well-being of North Carolina’s youth. I’m incredibly grateful to Kelly Crosbie, Lisa DeCiantis, Jessica Kornegay, MPH, CHES, Sean Schreiber, and Melissa Payne for making this partnership possible. If you’re a teen, parent, or making referrals, visit https://lnkd.in/g7DbQYpW to learn more. You can view the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gTsXdu_S ?? IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU CAN HELP! If you want to help support the youth of NC recover from the natural disasters, comment, share, or repost this post to help spread the word and get in front of families in need. #MentalHealth #HurricaneHelene #PeerSupport #HurricaneRecovery #NCStrong #NorthCarolina

?? CMS just released new guidance on EPSDT that has huge impacts across states and health plans. I sat down with the former CMO of Medicaid Andrey Ostrovsky, MD, FAAP and Kellie Hans Green from Caresource to deep dive into the new guidance and the widespread impact that it will have on youth health and wellbeing. Here’s what you need to know from the guidance: 1?? States are required to boost EPSDT awareness and accessibility: States must proactively inform families about available services using clear, easy-to-understand language and multiple communication channels (e.g., mail, website, social media). 2?? Expanding the child-focused (EPSDT) workforce: CMS expects states to broaden provider qualifications (e.g., utilizing non-licensed practitioners and peer supporters), leverage telehealth to expand reach, and implement payment methodologies that incentivize provider participation in EPSDT. 3?? Improving care for children with specialized needs:? The guidance highlights the unique needs of children with behavioral health conditions, those in foster care, and children with disabilities. There’s nobody better to speak on this topic than Kellie and Dr. Ostrovsky, so if you want to dive deep on everything related to the new guidance, listen to the full podcast below Youtube: https://lnkd.in/efRp45ht Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eTd-PwkU

In 3rd grade, my teacher. Mr. Fryburger changed my life (yes that was his real name). Even back then, I prided myself on being a straight A student. But his teaching style was difficult and he often left me with artificially low grades in order to “inspire me to work harder”. Maybe this could be a good tactic for older students but it took a toll on 3rd grade me. The year left me with insecurities about my academic abilities and feelings of anxiety around school that took me years (and some other amazing teachers) to get over. I was shocked when I learned last week that school teachers today are actually being used to effectively change students lives by effectively delivering preventative mental health interventions. If only Mr. Fryburger would have been on the mental health wave… —- ??? I’m excited to share the latest episode of the Self-Disclosed Podcast featuring Dr. Desiree Murray, a clinical psychologist and prevention scientist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill! We dive deep into her innovative BeCalm model, designed to support youth development in schools and how the teachers of today are trained to be more effective at encouraging their students to be resilient than My. Fryburger. Key takeaways from the episode: 1?? Mindfulness Interventions in Education Settings Are Effective: Dr. Murray emphasizes the importance of integrating mindfulness with social-emotional learning to enhance emotional regulation among adolescents. 2?? Teacher Engagement Is Hard But High Leverage: The success of the BeCalm model relies heavily on training educators to embody mindfulness practices, fostering a supportive classroom environment that promotes student engagement. 3?? Teen Engagement In Interventions Relies on the Setting: Dr. Murray shares more about what makes the BeCalm model work and shares that the effectiveness of the intervention has a lot to do with the classroom setting and the peer setting unique to each classroom. ?? Tune in to the full episode to learn more about Dr. Murray's impactful work and how we can better support our youth: Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eM-H6mkX Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eM-H6mkX Youtube: https://lnkd.in/enUhnbyq #mentalhealth #youthmentalhealth #schools #teens

I used to worry about AI taking over our jobs, but now I wish it were true… With a massive mental health provider shortage looming, we need all the help we can get—AI included. Here’s why… — If you haven’t heard, there’s a huge undersupply of mental health providers - there’s only one mental health care provider for every 350 people in the country. By 2036, there’s a projected shortage of the following providers: ?????Child Psychiatrists : -20,050 (40%) ???Mental health counselors: -138,670 (49%) ???Psychologists: -110,600 (49%) ???Child, family, and school social workers: -15,920 (93%) ???Healthcare social workers: -31.640 (77%) Workforce shortages are a negative feedback loop. A shortage of providers leads to more strain on the existing providers which causes burn out. This leads more providers to exit the workforce which causes even more strain on the existing providers and on and on. Unfortunately, AI is not going to solve these workforce challenges anytime soon. AI today can automate workflows like note taking and billing, but we are talking 20-30% more efficiency across a clinician’s caseload (In mental health, thats 25-40 patients). If AI tooling was perfectly rolled out across 100% of the providers in the U.S. that would have an impact. But because mental health providers are overstretched and burnt out, all of the gains that can be had from near term AI tooling will likely go directly back to the precious time that each providers need to be mentally well and not burn out. Unfortunately, this means that productivity gains won’t even get us back to baseline or lead to more capacity for patients. — So what can we do if we want to actually address the workforce shortage problem? One way is to facilitate the training and credentialing of more providers. I recently read an OpenMinds Panel that included execs from non-profit Speciality Providers. Jim Shaheen from New Season reported that they have gone so far as to invest in bespoke partnerships with universities to provide fast track internship and post-grad opportunities. Another solution that I am (obviously) passionate about is embracing alternative models for care, including alternative providers like behavioral health technicians, community mental health workers, and peer supporters. Even barbers and hair stylers have been used as mental health advocates. There’s tons of research and support nationwide for expanding access to alternative providers. 1?? NCSL encourages states to embrace Peer Support Specialists 2?? The White House has a priority to expand access to peer support (Links in comments) However, many health systems, insurers, and providers are still trying to figure out how peers and CMHW can fit into their provider networks while driving ROI. Unfortunately, the workforce problem will only get worse if we don’t work to solve it now. — What are some other ideas that I missed that can help solve for the workforce shortages?

I was shocked when I learned that, as recent as the 18th century, people with mental health disorders were treated like prisoners. Patients of asylums faced “unlimited confinement and barbarous treatment”. Many were placed in physical constraints and physically abused. The medical field had yet to even agree that mental health patients deserved respect and autonomy. But in these terrible conditions, the field of peer support was born... --- We just launched the latest episode of the Self-Disclosed Podcast covering all things peer support in mental health with Nicole Lederman, LCSW. --- In the episode, we covered the following topics: 1?? History of Peer Support: From its origins in the 18th century to its growth in the US in the 1920s, peer support has a rich history rooted in compassion and recovery. 2?? Research Backing Peer Support: Studies have shown that peer support interventions can effectively reduce self-harm risks and enhance recovery for individuals with mental health challenges. 3?? Challenges and Opportunities: While there are challenges like lack of standardized accreditation, the growing interest and investment in peer support offer promising opportunities for its integration into mental health care. ?? Listen to the full podcast for more insights on peer support and its impact on mental health. Let's advocate for the power of peer support in improving mental health outcomes! ?? Apple: https://lnkd.in/emGfwHxY Spotify: https://lnkd.in/emGfwHxY Youtube: https://lnkd.in/e2UNa_pC #PeerSupport #MentalHealth #PodcastDiscussion

My team begged me not to post this podcast because it contains all of our secrets about how we get teens to engage nearly every day with our mental health platform. But the youth mental health crisis is too large of an issue to not spread these insights. If you want to 10x the engagement that you are getting with your teen and their mental health resources, watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eQ-y2gCM --- In this episode of the Self-Disclosed Podcast, I sat down with Nic Podesta from our product team. Nic has spent the last two years obsessing over the engagement model at Somethings and in this episode shares everything that he's learned about driving maximal engagement with teens in mental health products. Here are the top three takeaways from our discussion: 1?? Meet teens where they're at and in the moment when they need. 2?? Build meaningful connections by taking the time to actually invest in the relationship and the interests of teens. 3?? Consistently engage teens with frequent touch points - you literally can't do too much. --- ?? Comment below and let me know what you've learned about getting teens to engage with their mental health resources --- Watch the full episode here: Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eQ-y2gCM Youtube: https://lnkd.in/euU7HRha Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eca95PdE #MentalHealth #TeenSupport #Youthmentalhealthcrisis

I’ve had WAY too many terrible experience with healthcare services/products recently. Literally experiences that I would rate 1/5 stars. We've been heads down grinding on making our experience the best possible mental health experience for teens and the results speak for themselves (see the 5 star ratings below). We should expect the same level of quality and satisfaction out of mental health services as we do out of any other product or service and I deeply believe that better experiences leads to better outcomes. It’s truly amazing what happens when you actually care and put in the work to make your experience great for users ?? What's the last 5/5 healthcare experience that you had? looking for inspiration for how to keep the bar high ???? #healthcare #mentalhealth

?? Exciting new hire alert!! I am so excited to welcome Andrey Ostrovsky, MD, FAAP to our team! Dr. Ostrovsky was previously the CMO of Medicaid and provides a wealth of experience both as a policy maker and as a Pediatrician himself. We are so excited to have Dr. Ostrovsky joining our team! Stay tuned for some high quality content with Dr. Ostrovsky soon ??

"A good parent would not have a child that attempts suicide…" This is a misconception that a film I saw last week, “After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt”, aims to challenge. It’s an incredibly powerful documentary that shares the harrowing stories of parents navigating the aftermath of their child’s suicide attempt, shedding light on an all-too-common yet rarely discussed experience. Thank you to Donna Lynn Taylor, MSN, RN for sharing this documentary with me ?? — Having a teenager who attempts suicide is one of the most challenging experiences a parent can face. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly common, with 1 in 10 adolescents attempting suicide today. This documentary showcases the struggles parents endure and offers invaluable insights. Here are a few key takeaways from the film: ?? 4 out of 5 teenagers will confide in their friends about suicidal thoughts before approaching an adult. ?? Teens often hide their struggles from their parents to avoid causing worry. At Somethings, we see this every day with the teens we support. Talking about suicidal ideation can be incredibly challenging for teens, but it’s crucial to normalize these conversations. Our clinical lead Nicole Lederman, LCSW always says, “it’s a small thing but creating a safe space for teens to share their most challenging feelings can make a significant difference.” And she’s right. It’s a common misconception that asking someone if they are thinking about hurting themselves increases the risk. In fact, the opposite is true. Asking can provide a crucial opportunity for them to open up, whether they are experiencing suicidal thoughts or not. I encourage you to watch this documentary and share it if suicide has impacted you or someone you know. Watch the documentary here: https://lnkd.in/gxK84MSd

1/10 teens attempted suicide last year... Here’s 10 other terrifying stats about GenZ mental health that will blow your mind ?? ??? 4/5 teens tell friends about suicidal thoughts before to telling an adult ?? 53% of teenage girls reported consistent depressive symptoms in the last year ?? 28% of teen boys felt consistent depressive symptoms in the last year ????? 65% of LGBTQIA+ felt consistent depressive symptoms in the last year ?? 1/5 LGBTQIA+ students reported a suicide attempt in the last year ?? Teens spend on average 4.8 hours per day on social media platforms. Over 50% spend at least 4 hours per say on social media platforms. ? Boys spend significantly more time on youtube, while girls spend more time on TikTok. ???? Teens report spending 1.8 hours less on social media per day if their parents restrict screen time compared to parents who do not. ????30 States have pending legislation related to restrictions around social media. --- It’s hard to deny the link between social media and teen mental health. Regulators and parents seem to be waking up to this reality.