Page 13 - July Aug 2022 Newsletter Final_Neat

Continued from page 12 The American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) awarded a Disaster Relief grant in
the amount of $20K to “Languages of Care” to support the organization’s work to translate
and provide mental health related resources and support to the people of Ukraine. The Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund
is designed to support human services organizations that are addressing the mental health and well-being of Ukrain-
ian refugees, as well as those who are still in harm’s way inside the country. You can read more about Languages of
Care and the Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund here.

Key Dates and Observances
APA Communications staff maintains a calendar of key dates, observances and events at APA and in the world of
mental health in general. The calendar is kept up to date a few months in advance. You can view the calendar and
keep track of important mental health dates and observances here.

Briefs for Your Newsletter
August Course of the Month – Youth Anxiety: Up-to-Date Clinical Treatment and Research

Anxiety disorders in youth affect one in eight children or adolescents. This course will feature key issues faced by
youth with anxiety disorders from underserved groups. The goal of this presentation is to enhance understanding of
the experience of underserved and other youth dealing with anxiety disorders.

Click here to access the Course of the Month and sign up for updates about this free member benefit.

APA’s Practice Management HelpLine Can Assist with Insurance Audit Issues
If you are having audit issues with a private insurer please contact the APA’s Practice Management Help-
Line, practicemanagement@psych.org, and tell them what’s been going on. In recent months the HelpLine has seen
a marked increase in the number of contacts with members who are being audited by commercial insurers. The
APA would like to hear from any other members who are experiencing audit issues to help us understand the extent
of the problem and formulate a remedy for what seems, in many cases to be an unnecessary burden, that is hinder-
ing access to care.

You can read about this issue in Psychiatric News: Members Report Uptick in Plans’ Claims Denials, Scrutiny, and
Hassles | Psychiatric News (psychiatryonline.org) and in the letter the APA has sent to the Department of La-
bor APA Letter to DOL on Lack of Parity Enforcement (psychiatry.org) with whom we are having ongoing discus-
sions on possible parity violations.

Telepsychiatry Fraud Alert from the Office of Inspector General
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a special alert
warning physicians and other health care professionals of the fraud and abuse risks associated with arrangements
with telemedicine companies.
“OIG is aware that many practitioners have appropriately used telehealth services during the current public health
emergency to provide medically necessary care to their patients,” the alert stated. However, OIG encourages physi-
cians and other health care professionals to use heightened scrutiny before entering into arrangements with telemed-
icine companies. View the OIG alert. See the APA Telepsychiatry Toolkit.

Mental Health Innovation Exchange Coming in August
The Mental Health Innovation Exchange, to be held virtually on Aug. 18 and 19, 2022, is APA’s showcase and cata-
lyst for the advancement of mental health technologies. It is focused on answering the question “What's next in men-
tal health technology?” This event is free for all APA members. Learn more and register

Register for the Mental Health Services Conference

APA’s Mental Health Services Conference, to be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 13 and 14, 2022, is a collaborative
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PSYCHIATRIC SOCIETY Page 13 July/August 2022