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December 5, 2023
In this Issue:
- Materials Available from Webinar on Supporting Nursing Facility Residents with Mental and/or Behavioral Health Needs
- Thank You to Our Fall Semester Koenig Intern
- Amplify Our Advocacy
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Materials Available from Webinar on Supporting Nursing Facility Residents with Mental and/or Behavioral Health Needs
Materials are available from last week's Consumer Voice and National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) webinar on Resources for Supporting Nursing Facility Residents with Mental and/or Behavioral Health Needs, featuring the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF). In recent years, changes in public policy and in living options have resulted in more residents with mental and/or behavioral health needs living in long-term care facilities. Long-term care facilities often lack the training and access to the support necessary to provide individualized care for residents with these needs. Through this webinar, we discussed COE-NF, a new free resource for nursing facilities.
The COE-NF was established in September 2022 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). During the webinar, COE-NF leadership shared what they do, who they help, program goals, and how to connect the nursing facilities you visit with their resources.
Get the recording and materials from the webinar.
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Thank You to Our Fall Semester Koenig Intern
Consumer Voice has had the pleasure to work with an outstanding intern this fall. Her skills and knowledge have helped us enormously as we build our organization and address the serious and complex issues facing long-term care residents. We would like to thank Arub for her dedicated work and advocacy representing the interests of long-term care residents.
 Arub Butt is a first-year Master’s in Public Policy student at The George Washington University, concentrating in Public-Private Management and Policy. She completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science and History at Bryn Mawr College, and has previous experience with research and writing in several policy arenas.
As a Public Policy Intern at Consumer Voice, Arub researched and reviewed the proposed ruling 88 FR 9820 by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) after its federal register publication and comment period opened. She assisted with several projects including the podcast, resident newsletter, social media, and reviewing responses to a widespread survey that was sent to residents regarding facility conditions and their individual experiences.
If you are interested in interning with the Consumer Voice, please visit our website for more information on how to apply. Applications for the Spring semester are due December 15, 2023.
The internship program is funded, in part, by the Jackie Koenig Memorial Fund. Support our internship program.
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Amplify Our Advocacy
 For nearly 50 years, Consumer Voice has been working to engage and empower long-term care residents and their families in the pursuit of quality care and services, quality of life, and protection of rights.
Bringing the voice of the residents and family members to the policy and advocacy tables is powerful! No one can relay an experience as well as the person who has lived it! And those making decisions about long-term care and services need to hear from the people most impacted by the policies they enact.
This has been more apparent than ever over the past year as we have advocated for implementation of the Administration’s bold initiatives for nursing home reform, including minimum staffing standards and increased accountability for nursing home owners and operators.
You and other advocates from around the country have done a tremendous job of raising your voices by commenting on proposed rules, calling and writing your legislators, and sharing your stories about the need for meaningful long-term care reform. We can’t stop now!
We have to AMPLIFY OUR ADVOCACY to counter the misinformation and misguided attempts by the industry to derail the process!
CAN WE COUNT ON YOU to join us? Support the Consumer Voice today!
Read more about how we are amplifying our advocacy.
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