Notice2022-18834
Request for Information: SAMHSA's Role in Possible Agency Actions Regarding Mental Health and Substance Use Wellbeing in the Context of Climate Change and Health Equity
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Published
August 31, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Abstract
SAMHSA seeks input from members of the public about how it can best address the behavioral health impacts of climate change and health equity considerations. Behavioral health includes mental health conditions and substance use disorders. SAMHSA specifically seeks input on suggested priorities, resources, partners and collaborating agencies and organizations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53477-53479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18834]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Request for Information: SAMHSA's Role in Possible Agency Actions
Regarding Mental Health and Substance Use Wellbeing in the Context of
Climate Change and Health Equity
AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of request for information.
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SUMMARY: SAMHSA seeks input from members of the public about how it can
best address the behavioral health impacts of climate change and health
equity considerations. Behavioral health includes mental health
conditions and substance use disorders. SAMHSA specifically seeks input
on suggested priorities, resources, partners and collaborating agencies
and organizations.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 31, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Please submit all responses via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#17547b7e7a766372547f767970725744565a5f4456395f5f4439707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f4b7989d99958091b79c959a9391b4a7b5b9bca7b5dabcbca7da939b82">[email protected]</span></a> as a Word document, Portable Document
Format (PDF) or in the body of an email. Please include ``Request for
Information: SAMHSA's Role in Climate Change'' in the subject line of
the message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mitchell Berger, Public Health
Advisor, Telephone: 240-276-1757, Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eaa7839e89828f8686c4a88f988d8f98aab9aba7a2b9abc4a2a2b9c48d859c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8fc2e6fbece7eae3e3a1cdeafde8eafdcfdccec2c7dccea1c7c7dca1e8e0f9">[email protected]</span></a>, or Maggie Jarry, Emergency Management
Specialist, Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d994b8bebeb0bcf793b8ababa099aab8b4b1aab8f7b1b1aaf7beb6af"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7d301c1a1a141853371c0f0f043d0e1c10150e1c5315150e531a120b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2021, President Biden signed
Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.
Recognizing that ``we face a climate crisis that threatens our people
and communities, public health and economy, and, starkly, our ability
to live on planet Earth,'' the Order called for a ``government-wide
approach'' to climate change and development of agency action plans to
``bolster adaptation and increase resilience to the impacts of climate
change.'' \1\
President Biden also in January 2021 signed Executive Order 13985,
Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through
the Federal Government, which called upon Agencies to take steps to
enhance
[[Page 53478]]
programs for underserved communities.\2\
In August 2021, HHS established the Office of Climate Change and
Health Equity (OCCHE) as part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Health. OCCHE priorities include supporting efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, partnering with other government agencies and
the nonprofit and private sectors and supporting efforts to address
health disparities.
Consistent with Administration priorities, HHS in 2021 developed a
Climate Action Plan emphasizing the Department's proactive response to
climate change.\3\
SAMHSA leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health
of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance
abuse and mental illness on America's communities. SAMHSA accomplishes
this mission by working closely with other federal partners, state,
local, tribal, and territorial governments, health care providers,
academic institutions, persons with lived experience and family members
and caregivers to promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and
provide treatments and supports to foster recovery. SAMHSA works
closely with such partners as the Administration for Strategic for
Preparedness and Response, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to expand access to
behavioral health services, ensure compliance with the Mental Health
Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and provide services to vulnerable
populations.
SAMHSA also supports such programs as the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Block Grants, Disaster Technical Assistance Center,
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness emphasizing
services for vulnerable populations. Through these and other grants and
activities supported by SAMHSA's Office of Behavioral Health Equity and
Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy, SAMHSA, consistent with the
Administration's January 2021 Executive Orders, works to ensure
disadvantaged and underserved communities and individuals experiencing
behavioral health conditions are supported.
Increasingly, climate change is impacting, directly and indirectly,
clients, providers, caregivers, and communities, and in particular,
persons with behavioral health conditions. For instance, climate change
may increase the likelihood of extreme weather events, such as
heatwaves, that adversely impact persons with psychiatric
conditions.\4\ Hurricanes may disrupt access to and participation in
behavioral health treatment and recovery supports for people with
substance use and/or mental disorders. For instance, hurricanes may
disrupt access to medications or increase anxiety, depression, and
substance use.<SUP>5 6</SUP> Hurricanes may also disrupt access to the
SAMHSA identified four major dimensions of recovery--health, home,
purpose, and community. In addition, growing numbers of youth and
others are experiencing heightened anxiety related to current and
potential impacts of climate change. Climate emergencies, such as
droughts, also may lead to loss of community cohesion, depopulation,
loss of natural resources, and loss of economic opportunities.\7\
Under-resourced populations are among those most impacted by climate
change because of their inadequate access to healthy foods, lack of
stable housing and healthcare barriers.\8\
SAMHSA programs, along with those of other HHS and federal
agencies, are working to address these impacts. For instance, SAMHSA
participates in the National Integrated Heat Health Information System,
which works to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat and supports
the recently launched website, <a href="http://Heat.gov">Heat.gov</a>. In collaboration with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, SAMHSA also supports the Crisis
Counseling Assistance and Training Program, which provides outreach and
psychosocial support following disasters.
Consistent with its mission and the Administration's focus on
climate change and health equity, SAMHSA seeks input on how its
programs, technical assistance and training, and other resources can
support clients, providers, family members and communities in
confronting the impacts of climate change. Specifically, SAMHSA seeks
input on the following questions:
A. What should SAMHSA's top priorities be with respect to climate
change and behavioral health? What are current strengths or gaps in
SAMHSA's work in this area?
B. What should SAMHSA's top priorities be to ensure behavioral
health equity with respect to climate change?
C. Which population(s) are most vulnerable to the behavioral health
impact(s) of climate change? How can SAMHSA communicate with such
population(s) and others to support their preparedness for the
behavioral health impact(s) of climate change?
D. In thinking about behavioral health, what are the top lessons
learned from past climate-related emergencies and natural disasters,
such as recent or past hurricanes, heat waves, wildfires, or other
events?
E. What peer-reviewed articles, papers, toolkits, listservs or
other resources related to climate change should SAMHSA highlight in
its work with states, local, tribal and territorial health authorities,
behavioral health providers, grant recipients, national and local
stakeholder organizations, and the general public?
F. Should SAMHSA programs highlight the importance of climate
change to its grant recipients? If so, how?
G. What barriers exist in SAMHSA's programs or regulations that
make it difficult to prepare for, mitigate, respond to or recover from
the impacts of climate change on mental health or substance use
disorders?
H. What steps should SAMHSA take to help states, local, tribal and
territorial health authorities, grant recipients and stakeholders,
behavioral health providers, national and local stakeholder
organizations, and the general public address the impacts of climate
change and the needs of underserved populations?
I. Can SAMHSA promote behavioral health equity by addressing
intergenerational trauma resulting from climate change? If so, how?
J. How can SAMHSA support access to behavioral health and climate
change resources and supports for future generations?
K. How can SAMHSA effectively collaborate with governmental and
non-governmental partners to facilitate adaption to current and future
climate change impacts?
L. What research should be prioritized to build the evidence base
on how climate change affects mental health and substance use disorder
outcomes?
Endnotes
\1\ 86 FR 7619 (2021).
\2\ 86 FR 7009 (2021).
\3\ HHS Climate Action Plan, Sept. 2021, <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-climate-action-plan-9-28-2021.pdf">https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-climate-action-plan-9-28-2021.pdf</a>.
\4\ See e.g., Disaster Behavioral Health in an Era of Climate
Change, Dialogue, 2022; 17(3), <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dtac-dialogue-vol-17-issue-3.pdf">https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dtac-dialogue-vol-17-issue-3.pdf</a>; Mental Health and Our
Changing Climate, 2021 Edition, <a href="https://ecoamerica.org/mental-health-and-our-changing-climate-2021-edition/">https://ecoamerica.org/mental-health-and-our-changing-climate-2021-edition/</a>; N. Obradovich and K.
Minor, Identifying and Preparing for the Mental Health Burden of
Climate Change, JAMA Psychiatry 2022 Apr 1;79(4):285-286. doi:
10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.4280; R.
[[Page 53479]]
Thompson et. al., Associations between high ambient temperatures and
heat waves with mental health outcomes: a systematic review. Public
Health. 2018 Aug;161:171-191. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.06.008. Epub
2018 Jul 12. PMID: 30007545; D. Dodgen et. al., 2016: Ch. 8: Mental
Health and Well-Being. The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health
in the United States: A Scientific Assessment. U.S. Global Change
Research Program, Washington, DC, 217-246. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0TX3C9H">http://dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0TX3C9H</a>.
\5\ K. Bevilacqua et. al. Understanding Associations Between
Hurricane Harvey Exposure and Mental Health Symptoms Among Greater
Houston-Area Residents. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2020
Feb;14(1):103-110. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2019.141. PMID: 32019618; JM
Shultz and S. Galea, Mitigating the Mental and Physical Health
Consequences of Hurricane Harvey. JAMA. 2017;318(15):1437-1438.
doi:10.1001/jama.2017.14618; E.A. Storch et. al., Psychiatric
Diagnoses and Medications for Hurricane Harvey Sheltered Evacuees,
Community Mental Health Journal, 2019; 55 (7): 1099-1102. doi:
10.1007/s10597-019-00378-9.
\6\ See e.g., L. Elliott et al., Disaster preparedness among
opioid treatment programs: Policy recommendations from state opioid
treatment authorities. International Journal of Disaster Risk
Reduction, 2017; 23: 152-159. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.05.001">doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.05.001</a>;
A.R. Griffin, et. al., A Crisis Within a Crisis: The Extended
Closure of an Opioid Treatment Program After Hurricane Sandy.
Journal of Drug Issues, 2018; 48(4), 536-545. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/0022042618779541">doi.org/10.1177/0022042618779541</a>; H. Matusow et al., Challenges to Opioid Treatment
Programs After Hurricane Sandy: Patient and Provider Perspectives on
Preparation, Impact, and Recovery. Substance Use & Misuse, 2018;
53(2), 206-219. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1267225">https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1267225</a>; PJ
Joudrey et. al., Assessment of Community-Level Vulnerability and
Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, JAMA Network Open.
2022;5(4):e227028. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.7028.
\7\ H. Vins et. al. The mental health outcomes of drought: a
systematic review and causal process diagram. Int J Environ Res
Public Health. 2015;12(10):13251-13275. doi: 10.3390/
ijerph121013251. LA Palinkas and M. Wong, M. Global climate change
and mental health. Current Opinion in Psychology, 2020; 32, 12-16.
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.023">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.023</a>.
\8\ See e.g., Behavioral Health Equity. <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity">https://www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity</a>.
How To Submit a Response
Responses will be accepted through October 31, 2022. Responses must
be emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80c3ece9ede1f4e5c3e8e1eee7e5c0d3c1cdc8d3c1aec8c8d3aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="33705f5a5e524756705b525d54567360727e7b60721d7b7b601d545c45">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include ``Request
for Information: SAMHSA's Role in Climate Change'' in the subject line.
Responders are free to address any or all the questions listed
above. Please identify the question or question(s) to which you are
responding. Responses also may address concerns or issues not
identified above.
The submitted information will be reviewed by SAMHSA and HHS staff.
However, individual comments may not be acknowledged by SAMHSA due to
the volume of comments received.
Responses to this RFI are entirely voluntary and may be submitted
anonymously. Please do not include any personally identifiable
information or any information that you do not wish to make public.
Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should
not be included in your response.
SAMHSA will use the information submitted in response to this RFI
at its discretion. SAMHSA reserves the right to use any submitted
information on public websites, in reports, in summaries of the state
of the science, in any possible resultant solicitation(s), grant(s),
contract(s) or cooperative agreement(s), or in the development of
future funding opportunity announcements.
This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and is not
a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the
Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to
it. Please note that the Government will not pay for the preparation of
any information submitted or for use of that information.
Carlos Graham,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-18834 Filed 8-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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