The biggest news today is that JewelsHelpingHands has released their proposal. You can download the document from either of these two links:
Dropbox Link to the JewelsHelpingHands Proposal
Dropbox Transfer Link for the JewelsHelpingHands Proposal
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Spokesman-Review
State, local agencies seek to fill COVID funding gap
When children struggle with mental health, it’s everyone’s problem
KREM
KHQ
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Spokesman-Review
State, local agencies seek to fill COVID funding gap
By Arielle Dreher
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
People who do not have health insurance may now be charged for COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination depending on where they seek those services.
Federal funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration that paid for COVID-19 testing and treatment for people without health insurance has dried up. Next week, HRSA funds for vaccines for people without health insurance also will cease.
The change means that some hospitals, clinics and labs that have been offering COVID-19 services for free to people without insurance will begin charging.
Not all options for free testing and vaccines are going away, however.
Thanks to other federal funding sources and Washington state agency grant programs, free COVID-19 testing and vaccinations still will be available to all Washingtonians going forward.
There are an estimated 465,000 people in Washington who do not have health insurance, and lawmakers in Washington have paved the way for this to change in the coming years.
During the pandemic, in Spokane and Spokane Valley alone, labs, hospitals, clinics and health care providers sought more than $7.2 million in reimbursement from HRSA for providing COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccinations to people without health insurance, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Providence provided $3.2 million in testing, treatment and vaccines to uninsured people in Spokane and Spokane Valley, CDC data show. MultiCare provided $1.2 million in testing, treatment and vaccines to uninsured people in Spokane and Spokane Valley.
Both hospital systems have financial assistance programs that were in place before the pandemic and will continue despite the change in federal funding.
“If a patient doesn’t have insurance, we will work with them to identify possible insurance options and assess their eligibility for our financial assistance program,” MultiCare spokesperson Kevin Maloney said in an email. “We encourage community members to check with their local health departments for testing and vaccination locations.”
Incyte Diagnostics, which processes COVID-19 tests at its labs, received $1.6 million for treatment and testing for uninsured individuals, CDC data show.
Now, public health agencies and federally qualified health centers likely will have to fill the gap to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccines without charge to people without health insurance.
When HRSA announced the federal funding was not getting replenished, state agencies had days to react.
At Washington’s Health Care Authority, a separate program authorized by the Legislature could play a timely role in filling the gap for providers.
The Uninsured Care Expansion Grant program was planned before the agency knew HRSA funding would cease. Now, federally qualified health centers, rural clinics, public hospital districts and community-based organizations can apply for these grants to help offer services to those without health insurance.
The Health Care Authority created the grant program with $35 million in federal funding to help cover uninsured individuals at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Eligible health care providers can apply for the grant program until April 15.
State health officials at the Washington Department of Health praised the grant program for its potential to fill in the gaps.
Deputy Secretary Lacy Fehrenbach encouraged Washington residents without health insurance to try to get covered if possible.
“If you remain uninsured, there are still options available,” Fehrenbach said Wednesday, adding that many state and local COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinics will remain open to everyone.
In Spokane County, community testing sites are funded with Federal Emergency Management Agency money, which covers anyone who seeks testing regardless of their insured status.
FEMA funding for COVID-19 response efforts is not ending, and it will cover 100% of eligible expenses through July 1, Spokane Regional Health District spokesperson Kelli Hawkins said in an email. Even after that date, reimbursement is expected to continue at 90% from FEMA.
Additionally, vaccine clinics offered by the Spokane Regional Health District or the Department of Health Care-A-Vans are also free for everyone regardless of insured status.
Hawkins confirmed that vaccine clinic funds also are not impacted by HRSAfunding running out.
Arielle Dreher can be reached at (509) 459-5467 or at arielled@spokesman. com.
When children struggle with mental health, it’s everyone’s problem
By Dr. Deanna Behrens
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
As a doctor who works in a pediatric intensive care unit, I take care of a lot of extremely sick children. Typically, when a patient is memorable, it is because they have unusual symptoms or a rare illness or injury. But lately there have been several patients who haunt me because of their similarity.
Over the last decade of my career, I have seen a dramatic increase in children and teens who try to harm themselves. They have the same haunted look, the same worried parents, the same palpable sense of despair. I have seen children as young as 9 try to kill themselves.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24.
And if a child with mental health issues lives in a home with access to a firearm, especially one that is not stored safely, their chances of dying from suicide increases fourfold. Firearms are by far the most lethal method of suicide attempts, so most of those patients do not even make it to pediatric intensive care.
During the pandemic, children have suffered. More than 140,000 children have lost a caregiver during the pandemic, and Black youth have been disproportionately affected by this loss due to inequities related to systemic racism. It is not just the pandemic, though.
There was a 60% increase in suicide in children and adolescents between 2007 and 2018.
I sit by the bedside and ask them their stories, and many of them are surprisingly forthcoming.
There are often struggles at school, bullying, a sense that people would be better off without them, or concerns about things like gender or sexual identity. Each story is unique, but at the same time, each feels remarkably similar.
I only see the children who survive, those who told someone what they did or were found by someone, and those who ask for help. For every child who needs my care, there are an untold number who are struggling with mental health issues. The number of children and teens with depression has increased by about a quarter over the last five years, and those with anxiety by about a third. The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in children’s mental health last year.
Because mental health issues are so prevalent in children, it is everyone’s problem. There is still a stigma associated with mental health problems that we need to overcome. We need to normalize the conversation around mental health and suicide. It’s important to emphasize that talking about suicide does not lead to an increase in suicide.
There has always been a severe shortage of pediatric mental health care professionals. This leads to long waits and sometimes long drives for appointments.
About 70% of U.S. counties do not have a single pediatric psychiatrist, and only half of kids with mental health conditions are cared for by mental health providers.
These kids are often identified by families or schools and treated by primary care physicians. Around 80% of pediatricians have lost at least one child under their care to suicide, and a growing number of providers are experiencing burnout themselves.
How do we help these children and adolescents? How do we decrease the risk that they end up in my intensive care unit?
Parents and families can look out for warning signs in their children, including withdrawing from friends, drastic changes in mood, behavior or performance in school, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, or especially hurting themselves or talking about death or suicide. If you see these signs in your child, please make an appointment with your pediatrician to discuss your concerns. If you have a firearm in the home, please make sure that it is locked and stored separatelyfrom ammunition. Suicide attempts are often impulsive acts by adolescents, and ready access to a gun can drastically increase risk of death from suicide attempts.
Because pediatricians are increasingly treating these kids, we need to invest in giving them the resources and training to screen and treat all children, especially those in underserved populations, for mental health problems. We need to make sure that hospitals have adequate staff and beds to take care of those who do need us.
We need to involve the community and schools in mental health promotion and suicide prevention by peer-to-peer support programs and awareness campaigns.
I recently joined more than 400 other pediatricians to call and visit elected officials to urge them to prioritize the needs of children and adolescents in any mental health legislation. Specifically, we spoke up in support of two important bills: the Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act and the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act. These bills would increase access to mental health care services and provide direct funding to schools for mental health promotion and suicide prevention. They are bipartisan efforts, and they are gaining momentum. Let your elected representatives know you support them.
It takes everyone to address this mental health crisis.
Dr. Deanna Behrens is a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit doctor in Chicago and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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KREM
SPOKANE, Wash. — As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducts its investigation into Spokane Public Schools' (SPS) alleged failure to report serious crimes, one parent is speaking out in the hopes of protecting her children and others.
There has long been more to school than reading, writing and arithmetic: it has become a safe haven for many children.
However, according to some SPS parents that have reached out to KREM 2, the students causing the violence are being protected at the cost of their children.
KREM 2 spoke with a mother who said the halls that once served as protected pathways can be incredibly terrifying for victims of violence.
"I want the school to stand up and really acknowledge what's going on," Kori, an SPS mother said.
Kori is the mother of a high school freshman enrolled in SPS. She told KREM 2 she did not want to identify herself for fear of retaliation against her son, who she said is already a victim of violence that has gone unreported by the school.
"It's non-stop. My son will text me throughout the day, almost weekly," Kori said. "They have lockdowns, kids fighting in the halls, claiming they have guns or knives. Ignoring it is not working."
Kori said her son's journey into high school has been marred by violence. She said it started after her son witnessed a group of students vandalizing the bathroom and told an adult at the school.
That good deed triggered a vicious response, according to Kori.
"The friends took it on themselves to threaten my son, call him a snitch," she recalled. " And they video it on their phone. He's crying, embarrassed, humiliated. That's when a staff member noticed."
According to Kori, her son was pulled into the principal's office and spent hours waiting. Eventually, his grandparents were called to pick him up. He was then escorted out of the school without an explanation.
The violence escalated a few weeks later when a student slapped a soda out of Kori's son's hand and became more aggressive, ultimately punching her son in the face.
Kori said her son came home that night and said nothing until she noticed his red cheek. After noticing his injuries, Kori emailed the principal that same night about what happened but never received a response.
The lackluster response from the school prompted her to call the police and file a report. Since the police report was filed, Kori says she has heard nothing from the school.
KREM 2 asked the school district about this case, but the district said they are unable to answer questions regarding the case at this time. KREM 2 also confirmed with police that, while Kori did file a report, they did not find any evidence that the school called authorities about the reported assault.
SPS sent out a letter on Wednesday night addressing the shift in security protocols at local schools. In the same letter, SPS canceled a scheduled safety protocol meeting set for Thursday night.
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KHQ
SPOKANE, Wash. - The turn of the calendar to April marks National Volunteer Month, and in Spokane, the ninth annual "Spokane Gives" initiative gets underway. The program is a partnership between the City of Spokane, and United Way of Spokane County.
"This is an exciting time because spring is here, and spring signals newness," said Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward. "It's a great time to get outside and be in the nice weather, and do something that will impact the community."
"This region, if nothing else has proven that we're incredibly generous with our time and our efforts," said President and CEO of Spokane County United Way John Dickson. "The month of April is just a great time–through the Spokane Gives initiative–to get really involved and make a big difference."
But this year's campaign is a little different than the last few.
"This is the first year in two years–because of COVID–that we're really having a robust opportunity to volunteer. We've been doing it for many years, but it's been a couple years since we've done it to this level," Mayor Woodward said.
Spokane Gives has seen more than 100,000 volunteers, working more than 440,000 thousand hours over the initiative's nine year history.
This year, some $13,000 in "mini-grants" have been donated from local businesses and the City to 28 local non-profits to help support their work.
"I think it's a great opportunity for people to dip their toe into a new organization," said Spokane County United Way Director of Resource Development, Andrea Mackin. "We know one thing coming out of the pandemic–people are so excited to be out and be engaged again. We're looking to some really high participation."
This year's tagline: "Giving Your Way."
Want to plant a tree? Sure! Help out a local animal shelter, or give blood? You can do that, too. Bottom line? Members of the community are encouraged to help out any way they can.
"These are non-profits doing incredibly amazing work," Dickson said. "Not only can they utilize your time and effort during this month with volunteering, but also some financial resources, if you have the ability to do that."
"People have this new lease on life, this new eagerness, this want to do something, and be out in the community and give back," said Mayor Woodward. "We've been isolated for so long, kept from seeing our loved ones for a long time, or just doing normal activities that we really took for granted. I think this gives people a new perspective, and they are really going to want to give back."
To get connected with an organization or an event, visit https://www.volunteerspokane.org/, and click on 'volunteer now.' There will be events scheduled throughout town all month long!