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Psychiatric/Mental Health/Substance Abuse Expert Panel

The Expert Panel on Psychiatric/Mental Health and Substance Abuse undertakes policy-related initiatives to improve the public's mental health and the delivery of high-quality mental/behavioral health care, and to inform policy makers about nursing's contributions to mental/behavioral health care.         

Inaugural Year: 1997

Co-Chairs:

Linda S. Beeber, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN
Professor
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
226 Jordan Hills Drive
Chapel Hill NC 27517
(919) 966-8148
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Michael Rice, PhD, APRN-NP, FAAN
Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center
220 S. 117th Ave
Omaha NE 68154-2213
402-559-5464
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

AAN Staff: Pamela Dudzik
Board Liason: David Keepnews

Previous Chairs: Anne Hughes (2000), Anne Belcher (2001), Inge B. Corless (2006)

Frequency of Meetings: Annually in person and by email when necessary

Publications:
2009        Weiss, S., Haber, J., Horowitz, J., Stuart, G., & Wolfe, B. (2009) The inextricable nature of mental and physical health: Implications for integrative care. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. 15(6), 371-382.

Charge to Expert Panel:
To undertake projects and initiatives that will contribute to the transformation of health care policy and practice specific to mental health, behavioral health, and substance abuse    

Summary:
The panel is working to achieve greater influence and involvement in bodies that affect mental health and substance use policy (Task Force on Involvement in Policy Making Bodies) as well as representation on key committees or councils of federal agencies that influence the science, education and practice underlying psychiatric-mental health care (Task Force on Increasing Psychiatric Nurses’ Influence with Federal Agencies). It is also developing briefing papers and talking points for the AAN Board that address central mental health issues relevant to AAN’s strategic plan.

Achieving parity in access to and coverage of mental health and addiction care remains our major policy priority.  The expert panel is working toward the effective implementation of the 2008 Wellstone and Domenici Legislation that proposes to end inequities associated with insurance coverage for mental health and addiction care. It also seeks to expand this access and coverage to the underserved, uninsured vulnerable populations that the legislation does not address. To this end, we are developing contacts with and/or representatives on the major advocacy groups and policy-making bodies that are working to implement mental health parity legislation. The goals of the expert are to improve access to and coverage of mental health care for the public as well as to achieve recognition of and support for the nurse’s role in provision of mental health care.
 
In addition, the panel initiated an important project to identify essential psychiatric- mental health/behavioral health competencies for generalist nurses. In collaboration with other key psychiatric nursing organizations, members of our panel led the effort to develop an essentials document that summarizes these important competencies. These competencies apply to the preparation of professional nurses in all types of entry level registered nurse education programs. The panel is also holding an invitational forum with key nursing leaders at the 2010 AAN conference to discuss these competencies and their implications for curricula and credentialing.

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