In this issue ...
 

_____________________________________________________
 

Annual Enrollment for the 2018 plan year is underway for the entire month of October. This is the time to enroll in or make changes to your health plan.
Details here.

_____________________________________________________
 

CAHS Staff Training Day
October 13
Holiday Inn South
9940 Airline Hwy., Baton Rouge

Door prizes
Entertainment
Matherne's Market catering
Engaging speakers
   
Kristin Woodlock, RN, MPH
CEO of Woodlock & Associates, New York
Topic: Get Rid of Your Agent-of-Government Thinking and Get Your Retail Health Care On

Thomas Karam, PhD
Senior Instructor, LSU Marketing Department
---------------------------------------------------------------


58th Annual
National Dialogues On Behavioral Health
October 22-25
Renaissance Arts Hotel
700 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans

Behavioral health is in flux because of the upheaval and uncertainties in the larger healthcare environment. The challenge for the field is how to build on its successes as changes occur in funding and insurance, clinical and care models, workforce, and the emergence of new technologies. Conference brochure here.

_____________________________________________________
 

Fall 2017 Training Series Set
CAHS employees may attend either or both of the following sessions at no charge
 

_____________________________________________________
 

What's Happening At CAHS
 

Patient Portal Now Available For CAHS Clients
 

_____________________________________________________
 

Kay Andrews Recognized For CAHS Board Service
 

Pictured right (l-r): CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD, with former CAHS Board Member Kay Andrews, and Board Chair Amy Betts.

We extend our special thanks to Kay Andrews who represented East Feliciana Parish on the CAHS Board of Directors and whose term expired recently. 

Mrs. Andrews, a former Board Chair, always came prepared, knew the CAHS agency thoroughly, and was responsible for the development and implementation of the Governance Policy Manual. We will miss her dedicated and engaging volunteer service.

_____________________________________________________
 

Clients Enjoy Energetic Wellness Week Activities
 

"Recovery Is Real" -- that was the message during National Recovery Month in September and during a very active Wellness Week at CAHS, Sept. 11-15.

The week included social media outreach on Facebook, a health fair, tips about healthy eating and budgeting basics, a chair yoga class, and "Family Appreciation Day" with giveaways, and information for CAHS clients and families. 
 

Click on the image above to watch Ivan Toldson's message
 

Special thanks to these CAHS staff members who made the week a great success: Keisha Lacour, Stephen Aguillard, Tye Brown, Lynetta Butler, Kirklin Campbell, Daniel Cook, Vivian Gettys, Betty Grant, Corlis Gremillion, Mac Haik, Dr. Jan Kasofsky, Rafael Maza, Tim Moore, Tonja Myles, Mark Nienabar, Ricky Pampo, Vidal Prograis, Bruce Salisbury, Chris Sunseri and the Center for Adult Behavioral Health social workers.

Also, we want to thank the following resource partners for their support: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, Catholic Charities, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Genoa Healthcare, Healthy Blue, Holly Clegg, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Open Health Care Clinic, The Red Shoes, Unitech Training Academy, and the YMCA.
 

_____________________________________________________
 

CAHS' efforts to prevent suicides among teens continues with the distribution of compelling materials that urge dialogue between parents and their children.

"We Need To Talk" materials are part of the CAHS #MeByDesign campaign, launched last year to promote healthy choices and positive behaviors among middle and high school youth.

CAHS Prevention Division Director Vivian Gettys, RN, MPH, said the "We Need To Talk" materials are part of a suicide prevention toolkit that is being distributed free of charge to area schools for administrators, faculty, staff, and students to use to support healthy campus cultures. 

"Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Louisiana youth ages 10-14 and is the eleventh leading cause of death in the state. We are working closely with schools and other partners to address substance use and behavioral health issues that contribute to suicide among youth," she said.

The suicide prevention toolkit includes:
  * Scripts of morning announcements
  * Social media posts and infographics
  • Writing prompts
  • 8.5” x 11" posters
  * Model school policy on suicide prevention
  * CAHS-led presentations (upon request)

Download "We Need To Talk" materials here and here.

_____________________________________________________
 

Dr. Kasofsky Talks About the Opioid Epidemic
 

_____________________________________________________
 

The Behavioral Health Collaborative met Sept. 29 at CAHS' Government St. campus to focus on the various aspects of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) that helps individuals who struggle with opioid addiction and who need more than abstinence-based treatment services.

"We must develop a coordinated system of help through prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery," said CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD.

The attendees heard from two doctors who specialize in MAT and from representatives of the Louisiana Medicaid program and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Arwen Podesta, MD, ABPN, FASAM, ABIHM, (pictured above) who serves as the Medical Director of Odyssey House, a treatment facility in New Orleans that serves 900 people each month, described how opioids change the brain and create a strong dependency with painful side effects. 

She said medications, like the long-lasting naltrexone, known by its brand name Vivitrol, blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of prescription pain pills, heroin and other opioids. She said a monthly injection of naltrexone helps to continually reduce opioid cravings so individuals can resume normal activities. She noted that even with Medication Assisted Treatment, many individuals relapse and use opioids again because of biological and social factors that include widespread access to opioids and the intense dependency they cause.

_____________________________________________________
 

Community advocates from various professional fields gathered Sept. 22 at CAHS' Government St. campus to participate in a special grassroots training, conducted by the Facing Addiction organization.

The four-hour training was part of a technical assistance grant CAHS received -- one of only 15 nationally -- to build grassroots advocacy about the issues of substance use and abuse.

The training focused on 1) community organizing, 2) message training, 3) policy matters, and 4) social media.

 

Michael King, Director of Outreach and Engagement of Facing Addiction, conducted the training, noting that every four minutes, someone in the United States dies from drug or alcohol addiction.

He led the participants in an examination of effective leadership, including characteristics and skills that include leading by example, being creative to set goals, demonstrating a strong work ethic, and being tenacious when met with challenges.

The participants also learned about the importance of consistent messaging that is backed with facts, focuses on solutions, and connects strongly with the issues.
 

 

"It is critically important that we understand our audience, speak their language, understand their perspectives, and take steps to fully inform them," King said.

The ongoing grassroots effort is being waged in three stages: 1) building an advocacy base, 2) training advocates, and 3) launching the community-wide campaign in January.

The advocacy teams will be trained to conduct activities, such as:
   * Working with the media to inform citizens
   * Urging local officials to give more attention and funding to the issues of addiction
   * Hosting various events throughout the year to draw attention to the issues
   * Participate in trainings to become more effective advocates

_____________________________________________________
 

Progress Report: SB Therapy Program Moves Ahead
 

_____________________________________________________
 

CAHS Participates in I CARE Team Spirit Conference
 

_____________________________________________________
 

The Comprehensive Public Training Program (CPTP) has released a new web-based training course: "Emergency Preparedness: Preparing for Disaster."

As we have seen with recent events, it is important that you, your family, and friends are as prepared as possible before being faced with an emergency situation. This course will provide you with some important information about potentially disastrous or emergency events.

The course includes a printable family preparedness plan, an important-documents checklist, and a disaster supply kit checklist. The course is listed in LEO as CPTP Emergency Preparedness WBT and can be found by using the search term “Emergency” in the Find box.

Questions?
Call: (225) 342-8539
Email:  cptplso.coordinator@la.gov

_____________________________________________________
 

Thanks to so many CAHS staff who helped make the federal review go so smoothly at the Capital Area Recovery Program (CARP) and the outpatient program at the Center for Adult Behavioral Health.

"We were very encouraged by the comments of the reviewers during their on-site visit. We are hopeful for a positive report," said CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD.

Reviewers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and the Louisiana Office of Behavioral Health concluded their official review in late September and were complimentary of the programs and of CAHS as a whole.  
  
Dr. Kasofsky extended her appreciation to the following CAHS staff members who were instrumental in preparing for the review: Mel Zufall, Jan Laughinghouse, Anieda Udofa, Scott Thomas, Lynetta Butler, Karen Pino, and Karla Muzik.

_____________________________________________________
 

Group Benefits Offers Help To Stop Smoking
 

_____________________________________________________
 

Who's Who at CAHS


Who's joined the CAHS family of employees recently?  Click here to find out.

_____________________________________________________
 

Congratulations to Ramona Harris, MBA, who has been appointed as CAHS' Chief Fiscal Officer by CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD.

Ramona joined CAHS in October 2016 as an Accountant 4 after serving 16 years in state government at the Louisiana Department of Revenue, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

A native of Natchitoches, Ramona earned her undergraduate degree in Management at Upper Iowa University and earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance at LSU-Shreveport. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Governmental Accountants (AGA).

_____________________________________________________
 

Whatever anyone needed, Sonya Thomas was the "go-to" person as CAHS' Procurement Director for the past four years.

We will miss Sonya, but we congratulate her for joining the staff of the Louisiana Office of State Procurement. We know she will do a great job there, just as she did for CAHS.

Most of all, we will miss Sonya's friendly disposition and eagerness to join in so many activities and volunteer opportunities on behalf of CAHS. 

_____________________________________________________
 

 

_____________________________________________________
 

CAHS welcomes four junior-level students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, formerly known as Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing.

The students are completing their Community Health rotation this fall and will work alongside nurses at the Center for Adult Behavioral Health. They will provide direct patient care that includes physical health screenings and monitoring vital signs.  
 

Pictured (l-r): Caitlin Cassidy, Alicia Geiger, Jordan Duhon, and Alex Landry.
Their instructor is Lauren Hollingsworth.

_____________________________________________________
 

Reminders at CAHS
 

 

_____________________________________________________