May is mental health awareness month. To note the occasion, the “Idaho Behavioral Health Authority Podcast” interviewed three guests for its latest episode, each with their own experience and expertise to help Idahoans.

Hosts Jeremy Storton and Dustin Lapray from the Division of Behavioral Health communications and training unit met individually with the guests:

• Alejandra Del Toro, a program manager at Empower Idaho, joined the podcast to talk about the work her organization does to promote awareness in Idaho each May. Empower Idaho releases an annual toolkit in English and Spanish, complete with an online store, an art exhibition, official graphics, and more. It’s a really neat kit.
• Brenda Wilson is the Executive Director of FYIdaho, an organization that focuses on youth and teen mental health in the Gem State. The programs Wilson discusses in the podcast include in-person and virtual options for modern kids to express their frustrations, needs, and to get real help from qualified professionals. 
• Laura Cardoza is an adjunct professor at The College of Idaho in the field of health and human performance. She has a background in exercise science, fitness, yoga, and life. She offered the podcast a top-10 list of suggestions for better mental well-being. While the other guests focused on adult and children’s mental health, Laura opened the door to everyone else, helping listeners stretch their minds and bodies toward better mental fitness.

Despite the many challenges Idahoans endure to treat a variety of mental illnesses, there is still cause to celebrate this May. Mental fitness can help everyone. Treatment can help those who seek it. Although many mental illnesses have no cure, the working professionals of Idaho are here to help the vulnerable find treatment when they need it.

This May, consider the most vulnerable. Consider your friends and family who may be struggling behind the scenes. Ask them about it. Be bold. Offer your time and your care. If you or a family member, a friend or a stranger needs help, reach out to the Department of Health and Welfare.

Call the Idaho Careline by dialing 2-1-1 for information about services, insurance coverage, and more.
If you are in crisis, or want to learn what that means, call or text 988.

This May, wear green proudly to raise awareness about mental health!

Listen to the podcast series, now available on YouTube and Spotify,  or visit the home page for the “Idaho Behavioral Health Authority.”

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral health at DHW.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day. This is a great reminder to learn about the dangers of viral hepatitis, how to prevent the spread of the disease, and what to do if you become infected.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is often caused by a virus. The most common types of viral hepatitis's are A, B, and C.  Both hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and viral hepatitis-related deaths. In Idaho, chronic liver disease is the tenth leading cause of death.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 850,000 people in the United States are living with HBV, while the estimated number of people living with HCV ranges between 2.4 and 4.7 million. Unfortunately, a large majority of people don’t even know they are infected. The most common symptoms of hepatitis A, B, and C can include fever, fatigue, dark urine, abdominal pain and vomiting, jaundice, loss of appetite, and clay-colored bowel movements.

Anyone can get HCV. However, the Baby Boomer generation (1945-1965) are five times more likely to have chronic HCV than any other living adult generation. New cases of HCV are on the rise among adults 20-39 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Universal HCV screening is recommended for adults 18 years and older and all pregnant people during each pregnancy. Routine screening is recommended for people with ongoing risk factors.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually spread when someone comes into contact with blood from an infected person. This can happen through:  

•    Sharing drug-injection equipment. Today, most people become infected with HCV by sharing needles, syringes, or any other drug equipment used to prepare and inject drugs. 
•    Being born to a mother who is HCV positive.
•    Needlestick injuries in health care settings.
•    Sexual contact with infected partners. While uncommon, HCV can spread during sexual intercourse, though it has been reported more often among men who have sex with men. 
•    Unregulated tattoos or body piercings. 
•    Sharing personal items, such as glucose monitors, razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and other items that may have come into contact with infected blood, even in amounts too small to see.

The best way to protect yourself from HAV and HBV is to get vaccinated. The HAV vaccine has been routinely recommended for children during the past 25 years. There are many Idahoans over the age of 30 who were not vaccinated as a child and are susceptible to acquiring HAV.

The HBV vaccine is recommended for all infants, all children or adolescents younger than 19 years of age who have not been vaccinated, all adults aged 19-59 years, and adults aged 60 years or older with risk factors for HBV infection. Adults who are 60 years or older without known risk factors for HBV may also receive an HBV vaccine.

There is not a vaccine for HCV. However, HCV is curable with a short course (8-12 weeks) of treatment. Being cured for HCV significantly improves the chances of living a longer and healthier life and prevents the ongoing transmission of the virus.

According to data compiled at the Get Healthy Idaho website, there were 722 chronic HCV cases reported, 62 chronic HBV cases reported, and 6 HAV cases reported in Idaho in 2023.

The HIV, STD Idaho Hepatitis Prevention Program and the CDC help promote awareness of viral hepatitis and encourage people to get tested to improve the overall health of affected Idahoans.

Resources:

Visit the CDC page on Hepatitis: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

Visit the Hepatitis Awareness Month CDC page: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/awareness/HepatitisAwarenessMonth.htm

Find testing services near me: https://hshslocator.dhw.idaho.gov/prevent/default.aspx

For more information on Hepatitis: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/hepatitis

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

May marks National Foster Care Month, a time to raise awareness about foster care issues in Idaho and express appreciation for those families who step forward to care for vulnerable children in their communities.

With approximately 1,500 foster children in the state at any given moment, the demand for compassionate families willing to support them is constant.

There are two primary ways this happens in Idaho: through kinship care or foster care.

Kinship care

When children cannot safely remain with their parents, DHW’s priority is to seek out relatives or close family friends who can provide a nurturing environment while maintaining familial bonds and cultural heritage. 

These caregivers, known as kinship caregivers, play a crucial role caring for children in need of support , and they number in the tens of thousands. Whether formalized through legal channels or initiated during times of family crisis, kinship arrangements are pivotal, yet often come with legal, financial, and emotional challenges. 

However, kinship care providers in Idaho are not alone, as support services are available. Idaho's Kinship Program offers a range of resources tailored to kinship caregivers, including financial assistance, legal guidance, support groups, and respite care options.

Foster care

Foster families provide a crucial lifeline for children who cannot safely remain in their home. The need for additional foster families in Idaho is constant, making every willing caregiver invaluable to the well-being of vulnerable children. There is a specific need for families who can care for sibling groups and adolescents. 

To consider becoming a foster parent, call 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588 or visit: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/about-foster-care

Miren Unsworth is a deputy director and interim Family and Community Services division administrator at DHW. She has spent 21 years working in service to children and families, including 18 years of work in public child welfare programs as a case manager, supervisor, policy manager, as well as a deputy administrator and administrator for FACS.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The National Association of Mental Health (now called Mental Health America) established May as Mental Health Month in 1949, making this year the 75th Anniversary of Mental Health Awareness Month.

In celebration of this occasion, the Division of Behavioral Health at the Department of Health and Welfare is asking Idahoans to “Light Up Green” this May. Replace your porch light. Dust off a Halloween projector. Wear a green shirt. Help us shine a light on Mental Health in Idaho.  

Across the nation, large venues, such as sports stadiums, bridges, monuments and other highly visible structures will bathe in green light to honor the many Americans facing mental health conditions.

Participating can be as simple as wearing green. Try a green T-shirt, a bracelet, or a ribbon.

Why Green? The official color for mental health awareness, green represents renewal, hope and vitality.

In Idaho, we ask our friends and neighbors to participate as they wish, to consider others who may be struggling, and to be open about their own situation. At any point in time, one in five Americans will be facing mental health challenges. In our lifetimes, about 50% of us will have a mental health condition.

Awareness helps us see these conditions as they are, as illnesses with treatment options. With the help of our community and partners, we can help Idahoans get the help they need, when they need it.

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral Health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Mental illness is a private medical condition that one in four Idahoans face, but just because it’s private doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of the public discourse.

Bringing mental health into the public conversation is the intent of the NAMI Walks, to be held in Idaho’s largest cities this May. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has held the walks in Boise in the past, but with the help of Rotary International, and Idaho’s local Rotarians, NAMI is stretching its legs statewide.

“NAMI Walks is about being very public, saying ‘it’s OK if you’re not OK’ … You’re not alone,” said Beth Markley, executive director of NAMI Idaho. “We all deal with these things, so let’s get together.”

Get together and “walk” about them, in big groups or small. Exercise helps reduce stress and can help people with mental illness. Walking together in public breaks down stigma, but also creates fellowship, Markley said. It can also help isolated people not feel alone.

NAMI organized the events in the hub cities, but anyone anywhere can host events this May for Mental Health Awareness Month. In Lewiston, there will be an unofficial walk, with a picnic. Others have done jump rope competitions.

Markley said we ought not hide our stigma, but rather bring into the open that mental illness should not come with derision or scorn. She talked about the cancer correlation, how afraid people used to be to talk about the disease, but now Idahoans confidently share how cancer affects them. The same breakthrough can happen with mental illness.

“Stigma is a factor in the isolation and loneliness that exacerbates a lot of mental health conditions,” Markley said. “There is a ripple effect, to families, communities, places of employment.”

The NAMI Walks are free, but they are also a fundraiser for NAMI’s year-long programs and services around the state. NAMI’s website has a calendar, a resource tab for faith members, military, teens, frontline workers, and lots of ways to get involved in your community (statewide programs and services, education programs for people with mental health disorders and families, statewide support groups.)

Information expos, tables, and representatives from partner organizations will be present at the walks.

2024 NAMI Walks: Click here to Register
May 4 – Coeur d'Alene: Landings Park  
May 4 – Twin Falls: Canyon Rim Trail
May 11 – Pocatello: Bonneville Park
May 25 – Boise: Anne Morrison Park + Greenbelt
June 1 – Idaho Falls: The Waterfront

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

This Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an initiative that addresses public safety issues related to unused prescription medications.

Gather unused prescription medications in your home and find a safe disposal area near you.

Unused prescription medications can be susceptible to abuse, misuse and theft. During this National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the public is encouraged to safely and securely dispose of unneeded and unwanted medications to help prevent drug misuse and overdose deaths throughout our communities.

In 2022 an estimated 49,000 Idahoans 12 years old and older misused prescription pain relievers, and an estimated 14.2 million Americans misused prescription stimulants, sedatives, and pain relievers nationwide, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

At the twenty-fifth National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event held in October 2023 some 4,500 pounds of discarded material in Idaho was collected. Nationally, that figure jumped to nearly 600,000 pounds. Since the program began 115,203 pounds of material have been collected in Idaho.

The event helps people safely dispose of unused prescription drugs, but it also helps raise awareness that pharmaceutical drugs can be as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a proper prescription or doctor supervision.

Unused prescription drugs disposed of in the trash can be retrieved and abused or sold illegally. Throwing prescription drugs into the toilet or public waterways can contaminate water. Proper disposal of unused drugs can save lives and protect the environment.

Law Enforcement agencies are responsible for collection of materials at the conclusion of the event and turning in these prescription drugs is easy, safe, and anonymous. Discarded drugs can be dropped off from the convenience of your car.

Resources:

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day: https://odp.idaho.gov/take-back-day/

To find a permanent subscription drug disposal location near you: https://odp.idaho.gov/prescription-drug-take-back-program/

City of Boise disposal of medication, needles, and syringes: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/public-works/curb-it/medication-and-sharps-disposal/

CDC tips for safe storage and disposal of prescription medication: https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/pdfs/WTC_Factsheet_Prescription_Medicine_WEB_0319-P.pdf

DHW overdose prevention: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/behavioral-health/overdose-prevention

2-1-1 Idaho CareLine (A free, statewide community information and referral service, and program of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.): https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/211

National Behavioral Health Treatment Locator:
https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/behavioral-health/statewide-crisis-centers

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 
 

All children deserve to feel safe in their homes, but all too often that’s not the case.

The Department of Health and Welfare receives nearly 23,000 reports of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment each year in Idaho.

This month, as we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month, please learn what you can do if you think a child may be in an abusive situation.

To report suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment call:

• Statewide: 855-552-KIDS (5437)
• Treasure Valley: 208-334-KIDS (5437)
• 2-1-1 or local law enforcement

Reporting suspicions of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment is not just a moral obligation but a legal requirement for all Idaho residents. This includes a wide spectrum of professionals and community members, ranging from doctors and teachers to daycare providers and relatives.

Uncertainty shouldn’t deter you from making the call. Although it may be daunting, it could save a child’s life. Upon being assigned a report, a family services worker conducts a thorough assessment to determine the validity of the concerns raised and provide services and supports. Each report is meticulously documented and serves as a crucial reference point for future interventions.

Callers have the option to remain anonymous, alleviating concerns about potential repercussions. The Department of Health and Welfare safeguards the identity of those who report, ensuring confidentiality even if the family requests access to their records.

Children do best when they can remain safely with their families, and the department works hard to make that happen if possible. DHW’s Child Welfare staff are dedicated to protecting Idaho children, keeping Idaho families together, and helping families heal.

The work they do is difficult and sometimes unappreciated, but they can’t protect children without the collective support of the community.

Ultimately, Child Abuse Prevention Month serves as a call to action, urging individuals and institutions alike to prioritize the safety, dignity, and rights of every child. It reminds us that protecting children is a responsibility we all share.

Miren Unsworth is a deputy director and interim Family and Community Services division administrator at DHW. She has spent 21 years working in service to children and families, including 18 years of work in public child welfare programs as a case manager, supervisor, policy manager, as well as a deputy administrator and administrator for FACS.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Imagine you are addicted to a drug, and you can get it at the gas station, grocery store, restaurant, at neighborhood pubs or downtown bars.

This is alcohol.

It is legal, socially acceptable, and for years, it has been killing just as many, or more, people in Idaho than all other drug overdoses combined. And that does not include the number of alcohol-involved roadway accidents that also take lives.

“People don’t talk about it nearly it as much, but just as many people are dying,” said Rosie Andueza, substance use disorder team program manager in the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Behavioral Health. “Why, as a country, do we just ignore alcoholism?”

So why are alcohol deaths ignored? Stigma, lobbying, corporate profits, and the fact that alcohol is legal all likely play a role.

“Opiates kill you faster; you take one wrong pill, you die,” Andueza said. Alcohol deaths often take time, a result of poisoning or disease.

“Those are deaths caused by your body physically shutting down because of excessive and/or prolonged alcohol use,” Andueza said. “There’s no magic formula, wherein if you drink this much and you weigh this much, then you have a problem.  It’s different for everyone and, frequently, women are impacted faster.”

The good news is that addiction is one chronic disease that does not have to kill. Recovery can and does work, and people who maintain a life of recovery will not die from their addiction. Treatment is often, but not always, a first step.

To access substance use disorder treatment services, Idahoans can simply call 2-1-1, the Idaho Care Line, where 2-1-1 staff determine the best route for the uninsured to obtain publicly-funded services. For people who are insured, 2-1-1 will assist in finding an appropriate treatment provider.

There are multiple pathways to recovery. Many people use 12-step or Celebrate Recovery programs, which are available in nearly every community in Idaho.

“I had to get over the denial,” Andueza said of her own recovery. “It’s like losing your best friend.”

Part of the alcohol problem is a social stigma, of camaraderie, family and friend traditions.

“How many people around you are active alcoholics?” Andueza asked. Considering that one in 10 Americans struggle with a substance use disorder, the answer includes a truth many Idahoans don’t want to face.

Resources

• 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 
• Alcohol Awareness Month
• Alcohol and other substance use
• Idaho behavioral health resources

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral Health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Clinical providers working in the behavioral health and criminal justice systems will come together this April to attend the second annual Idaho Forensic Clinical Conference.

The hybrid virtual/in-person conference is presented by the Idaho Department of Corrections and the Idaho Department of Juvenile Correction, in conjunction with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare — Division of Behavioral Health. 

This no-cost conference will run April 24-25 at the Chinden Conference Center in Boise. Upward of 250 people are expected to attend. Registration for in-person attendance is closed, but those interested can still register to attend online. Attendees can earn up to 12 continuing education units (CEUs).

This year’s conference will host keynote speakers from Colorado, Georgia, Washington, and Idaho. Attendees will include clinicians, designated examiners, social workers, counselors, and psychologists working in the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. 

If you work in these fields in Idaho and would like to attend the conference, you can register by following this link: https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41708926/13af/

Keynote topics include competency restoration, autism spectrum disorder, diagnostic criteria, brief interventions, the ethical foundation of self-care, and many other complex challenges facing this group of mental health professionals working in Idaho.

Over two days in Boise, those in attendance will hear presentations from Denver First’s Jennifer McMahon, PhD, and Karen Grabowski, PhD; the Atlanta Behavior Academy’s Jessica Zielske, MA, and Hannah Bromley, Psy. M., BCBA; Kirk Strosahl, PhD, Founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; and Jennifer Obenshain, DSW, LCSW, Clinical Associate Professor at Boise State University.

The 2023 conference drew an audience of about 200, about half in person and half virtually. 

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral Health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

We all love having pets and they say dogs are man’s best friend. But dogs can bite in playful and protective ways. Any dog — big or small, young or old, male or female — can bite. 

Nearly 90 million dogs live in U.S. households. Each year, about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs. Most dog bite victims are children. More than 800,000 people get medical care for these bites each year.

It’s a problem in Idaho as well. Dog bite-related injuries are increasing in Idaho, and visits to Idaho emergency departments for dog bite-related injuries increased nearly 20% from 1,355 in 2020 to 1,608 in 2023. Hospitalizations for dog bite-related injuries in Idaho increased by over 80% from an average of 22 per year before the COVID-19 pandemic to 40 in 2022. Even more concerning are deaths after dog bites-- in the last five years, four Idahoans died of dog bites. 

Steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:

• Remember that any dog can bite. About one in five visits to emergency departments in Idaho for dog bite-related injuries were due to bites from the family dog (where information was available). Any dog can bite, especially if it’s startled, scared, injured, or sick. Dogs bite to protect something valuable to them, like their puppies, food, or a toy. Dogs may bite in play, too. Read a dog's body language and give it space if it seems stressed. Leave a dog alone when it’s eating or sleeping. Make sure your dog is vaccinated against rabies.
• Supervise babies and toddlers around dogs – even the family dog. In Idaho, three out of 10 dog bite-related hospitalizations were for children 4 years and younger. Some of these bites occurred when the child and dog were alone together, even for just a minute. A bite can happen quickly, so supervise young children around all dogs, all the time.
• Prevent dog fights to prevent dog bites. Breaking up dog fights leads to more than 100 emergency department visits a year in Idaho. Half the time, the dog fights were between the injured person’s own dogs. Dog trainers say there is no safe way to break up a dog fight. Prevent dog fights by reading the dogs' body language. If possible, separate dogs before they start fighting. 
• Approach unfamiliar dogs with caution. Many emergency department visits in Idaho are to treat patients with bites from stray or unfamiliar dogs. Always ask before petting someone’s dog. Contact animal control services* for help with stray or injured dogs. If you are bitten by a dog, animal control services can help get the dog's vaccination history.
• Seek medical care early and take care of wounds. Waiting to get medical care leads to infection. Puncture wounds from a bite may be deeper than they appear. Prompt and thorough wound care is needed to avoid infection. Dogs vaccinated against rabies can still carry other germs. The treatment your healthcare provider recommends will depend on the injury, your other health conditions, and the vaccination histories of you and the biting dog.

If you or someone you know is bitten, it’s important to wash the wound immediately and consider medical evaluation. Prompt medical care can reduce the risk of dog bite-related complications. Good wound care will help prevent infection. Your healthcare provider might recommend antibiotics, a tetanus shot, and shots to protect against rabies. Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus. A dog infected with the rabies virus can spread it by a bite before it looks sick. Healthcare, public health, veterinary, and animal control staff work together to help determine the risk of rabies from a dog bite.

Learn more: 

• How to educate yourself, your children, and others about dog bite prevention (American Veterinary Medical Association): https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/dog-bite-prevention
• Tips for children to prevent dog bites and what to do if a dog bites your child (American Academy of Pediatrics): https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention-Tips.aspx 
• Rabies information from Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/rabies 
• How to find and choose a dog trainer (American Kennel Club): https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/finding-choosing-a-dog-trainer/

*Idaho CareLine (2-1-1) can help you find animal control services in your location.

Dr. Kris Carter is the CDC Career Epidemiology Field Officer in the Division of Public Health.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.