Job Announcement: DADAS

TDMHDD issued a job announcement (pdf, doc) for the position of Assitant Commissioner to serve as director of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. This follows on the transition of the divison from TDH to TDMHDD and the departure of Dr. Stephanie Perry from the position. Note: This is an Executive Services position.

Gene Therapy for Alcoholism?

A new study suggests gene therapy can help curb alcoholism by manipulating a gene responsible for the metabolism of alcohol:

Aldehyde dehydrogenase is blocked by the drug disulfiram, also known as Antabuse, which is sometimes used to help alcoholics quit the habit. "But you have to take it every day, so there is a big problem with compliance," says Amalia Sapag at the University of Chile in Santiago.

To provide a longer-lasting effect, Sapag's team engineered adenoviruses to carry an "antisense" version of the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene. This produces RNA that binds to the original gene's messenger RNA, blocking enzyme production.

A single injection of viruses reduced the enzyme's activity in rats' livers by 80 per cent, Sapag revealed at the American Society of Gene Therapy meeting in Seattle earlier this month.

RWJF Funding Opportunity

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has a call for proposals out in its Advancing Recovery program. For once, the deadline is reasonably far in advance: 16 Aug 2007.

The Call for Proposals (CFP) for the second round of Advancing Recovery was released on June 7, 2007. Click here to view the CFP.

Full Proposals must be submitted online at http://grantmaking.rwjf.org/advancingrecovery by 3 p.m. (central time) on August 16, 2007. Additionally, ONE (1)^† hard copy of the full proposal, including supporting documents (please see FAQs), must be mailed to the National Program Office, postmarked by August 20, 2007.

Advancing Recovery grants will be awarded on February 1, 2008 to up to six payer-provider partnerships. Grants will run until January 31, 2010.

Informational calls will take place on June 28, July 11, and July 30 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CDT (2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EDT). If you are interested in learning more about Advancing Recovery and the application process please join us on:

Dial in: 1-877-326-0011
Passcode: *6185935* (include the asterisks)
Please contact the national program office with questions.

^†The CFP states that six (6) copies of the full proposal be submitted in hard copy to the NPO. This is incorrect. Please send only ONE (1) hard copy of your full proposal to the NPO.

From advancingrecovery.net.

Strategic Financing Plans

Stephanie Shapiro, Nancy Reed, and Robert Saunders participated in the national technical assistance call regarding the development and implementation of state strategic financing plans mentioned previously.

We have posted the 3 presentations on the T-ACT archives. You can download them separately or as one zipped file. Below is a brief summary:

• Mary Armstrong, Georgetown University: presented information on a national study she is conducting that identifies the different strategies used by states to modify organizational and financing arrangements to implement systems of care.
  
• Beth Baxter & Dave Hoyt, Kearney, Neb.: presented information on the implementation within a 22-county area of south central Nebraska, including the role of a family advocacy organization in supporting services and evaluation activities.
  
• David Cygan, Nebraska Health and Human Services System: presented information on how the state worked with Medicaid, child welfare, and block grant systems to finance systems of care.

Among the interesting things to note for Tennessee:

1. Magellan operates in Nebraska and was involved in their process.
   
2. The state permitted reimbursement for screenings for mental health and substance abuse problems through its EPSDT program.
   
3. Participants emphasized the importance of having an accurate accounting of what services are provided through what funding streams in order to know the full implications of any changes to the system.
   
4. They also stressed the importance of starting with a clearly defined target population. For example, one might want to target youth transferred out-of-state, a traditionally expensive treatment option. A broader population will work so long as all the stakeholders agree on the definition and the importance of the addressing their needs.

Evidence-based Practice and Underserved Populations

This link takes you to the Summer 2007 issue of Focal Point. This issue compiles articles produced by Portland State University on evidence-based practices and underserved populations. You can download the entire issue at the first link on the page or each individual article. It has a little more focus on mental health than substance abuse, but that may be especially useful for those with clients dealing with co-occurring disorders.

Grant Opportunity

I just received notice of the following grant opportunity related to youth employment. This may be of interest to groups working to build employment skills of youth with substance use problems. This link contains the synopsis and full announcement. Below is the synopsis:

The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 04/26/2007. If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.

If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails. The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.

Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.

Description of Modification

There has been an amendment to this SGA. Please see Revised Full Announcement 2 for the amendment.

Document Type: Modification to Previous Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA-DFA-PY-06-08
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Apr 26, 2007
Creation Date: Jun 13, 2007
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jul 03, 2007

Applications must be successfully submitted through Grants.gov no later than 5 p.m. (Eastern Time). Applications will only be accepted through the Grants.gov application system. Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be considered. No exceptions to the submission requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. For detailed guidance, please refer to Section IV.C.

Current Closing Date for Applications: Jul 03, 2007 Applications must be successfully submitted through Grants.gov no later than 5 p.m. (Eastern Time). Applications will only be accepted through the Grants.gov application system. Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be considered. No exceptions to the submission requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. For detailed guidance, please refer to Section IV.C.

Archive Date: Aug 02, 2007
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Employment, Labor and Training

Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 100
Estimated Total Program Funding: $47,000,000
Award Ceiling: $1,100,000
Award Floor: $700,000
CFDA Number: 17.274 -- YouthBuild

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:
• community-based organizations;
• faith-based organizations;
• an entity carrying out activities under this WIA, such as a local workforce investment board or One-Stop Career Center;
• a community action agency;
• a state or local housing development agency;
• an Indian tribe or other agency primarily serving Indians;
• a community development corporation;
• a state or local youth service conservation corps; or
• any other relevant public or private non-profit entity that provides education or employment training and can meet the required elements of the grant.

Agency Name Employment and Training Administration

Description

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately $47 million in grant funds for YouthBuild Grants.YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that simultaneously addresses several core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. Grant funds will be used to provide disadvantaged youth with: the education and employment skills necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency in occupations in high demand and postsecondary education and training opportunities; opportunities for meaningful work and service to their communities; and opportunities to develop employment and leadership skills and a commitment to community development among youth in low-income communities. As part of their programming, YouthBuild grantees will tap the energies and talents of disadvantaged youth to increase the supply of permanent affordable housing for homeless individuals and low-income families and to help youth develop the leadership, learning, and high-demand occupational skills needed to succeed in today’s global economy.

Link to Full Announcement
YouthBuild Grants

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Donna Kelly
Grants Management Specialist
Phone 2026933934 Donna Kelly

Tennessee Prevention Congress Program Available

TAMHO announced a preliminary program and registration information for the Tennessee Prevention Congress are available online. The conference is 20-22 August 2007 at Montgomery Bell State Park.

TA Conference Call on State Strategic Financing Plans

Below is an email from SAMHSA announcing a conference call to gain technical assistance in developing and adapting financing plans for adolescent substance abuse services:

Dear Colleague:

We invite you to sign up and participate in the continuation of our 2007 national topical telephone conference call series. The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health is sponsoring this exciting and well-received monthly series of topical calls. The conference calls cover important and emerging trends in the mental health field. Presentations from expert resource persons are followed by open discussion in order for all participants to ask questions and enrich the conversation. We hope you will share this educational opportunity with others so that they may participate as well.

Please visit our website for registration information and the full 2007 Calendar of Calls. The next call in this series will be Thursday, June 21, at 1:00 p.m., ET on “How States are Developing Strategic Financing Plans”. PowerPoint presentations and reading materials for each call will be posted on the website and can be viewed while listening to the calls.

All information about the national conference call series can be found on our website, including announcements, registration forms, handouts, and evaluation forms. There is no registration fee for these calls. The only cost that you will incur will be the long-distance phone charges. You should register for each call at our website so that we know how many lines to set up and how to structure the call to meet your needs. If you have any trouble accessing our website, please call or e-mail MelKisha Knight at (202) 687-5000 so that we can arrange to mail or fax you the information.

Should you have any questions about the telephone conference series, please contact Marisa Irvine, Conference Call Coordinator by e-mail at marisairvine13@hotmail.com

We hope that you and other individuals in your state, tribe, territory, and community will find these calls useful. We look forward to your participation and feedback.