This week, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new Surgeon General’s Advisory calling attention to the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis. The advisory outlines the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of youth and families in the U.S., as well as mental health challenges that existed prior…
Read More »On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, marked its first-ever White House Maternal Health Day of Action, issuing a call to action to public and private sectors to help improve health outcomes for parents and infants in the U.S. As part of the call of action, the Administration announced a…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded approximately $82 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) emergency home visiting funds to 56 states, jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations to support children and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding builds upon an initial investment…
Read More »The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced it has launched a first-ever SAMHSA Harm Reduction Grant Program with up to $30 million anticipated to be awarded nationwide. The funding, authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), aims to increase access to a range of community harm reduction service providers as they…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week announced it has awarded $22 million to nearly 30 organizations globally to combat antimicrobial resistance (AR) and other health care threats through the establishment of two new networks – the Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) and the Global AR Laboratory & Response Network…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the expansion of a partnership established earlier this year to improve access to affordable, accessible housing, and the critical services that make community living possible. HHS and HUD announced the launch of a…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) recently issued a new report entitled, “Opportunities to Empower and Support Girls and Women in California: An Environmental Scan of Leadership Opportunities and Economic Supports to Prevent Sexual Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Teen Dating Violence.” The report represents an initial exploration…
Read More »The California Legislature is set to return to Sacramento to resume the second year of the 2021-22 Legislative Session in one month on January 3, 2022. Lawmakers are anticipated to face a number of significant issues upon their return to the Capitol, including issues related to health and human services implementation (e.g., CalAIM, Children and…
Read More »This week, the California State Assembly convened two informational hearings related to public health in locations throughout the state. We highlight these hearings below: Hernandez Testifies at Assembly Select Committee on Social Determinants of Health On Wednesday, the Assembly Select Committee on the Social Determinants of Health convened its inaugural hearing in La Mesa in…
Read More »Last Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron, as a “variant of concern” following reports of cases to the WHO by South Africa. Researchers continue to study the virus mutations, its impacts on transmissibility and disease severity, and effectiveness of prior infection, vaccines, and current tests and treatments….
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