IHS Prescription Drug Abuse Workgroup Report Out 2016 National - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

IHS Prescription Drug Abuse Workgroup Report Out 2016 National Combined Councils

June 23, 2016

History--Purpose/Overview

• Recognizing that prescription drug abuse and deaths due

to overdose from prescription medications is a national epidemic, the Indian Health Service convened a workgroup on this issue at the National Combined Councils meeting in Rockville, MD on July 11, 2012.

• The workgroup developed a number of

recommendations that were grouped around six (6) focus areas:

– Patient care – Policy development/ implementation – Education – Monitoring – Medication storage/disposal – Law enforcement.

HHS Year in Review

• HHS Secretary’s Opioid Initiative–March 2015

1) Prescriber training 2) Access to Naloxone 3) Access to Medication Assisted Treatment

https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/107956/ib_OpioidInitiative.pdf

HHS Year in Review

• National Heroin Taskforce—July 2015

Findings:

• Substance use disorders are brain diseases that can be

successfully treated;

• Education and intervention at all levels are essential,

including activities to prevent drug-related harms, especially overdose prevention tools;

• Appropriate treatment options must be readily available,

affordable, and easily accessible, and

• Millions of Americans are in recovery from heroin and
• ther opioid use disorders; their progress should be

highlighted to encourage others to enter treatment.

HHS Year in Review

• Presidential Memo—October 2015

– Addressing Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Use

1) Adequate training of medical professionals on appropriate pain medication prescribing practices—within 18 months and repeated every 3 years 2) Increased utilization of naloxone 3) Increased access to medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for opioid dependence 4) Reduced utilization of methadone

HHS Year in Review

• Protecting Our Infants Act (POIA)—

– November 2015 – Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review its activities related to prenatal opioid use, including neonatal abstinence syndrome, and develop a strategy to address gaps in research and gaps and overlap in programs. – Components: 1. An assessment of existing research on neonatal abstinence syndrome; 2. An evaluation of the causes, and barriers to treatment, of opioid use disorders among women of reproductive age and recommendations

• n preventing opioid use disorders in these women;

3. An evaluation of, and recommendations on, treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorders and the effects of prenatal opioid use on infants; and 4. An evaluation of the differences in prenatal opioid use between demographic groups and recommendations on reducing disparities. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/799

CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.html

CDC Guideline Elements

• Start low—go slow
• Avoid initiating opioids for chronic pain if possible—

use non-opioid treatments if possible

• Routinely assess functional status: harms vs benefits

– 1-4 weeks after opioid initiation – Following dose escalation

• Use caution when prescribing >50MMEs

– Exceeding 90MMEs—recommend additional documentation; risk vs benefits, specialty referral options

• Co-prescribe naloxone
• Monitoring: including PDMP and UDS
• Acute pain: recommend no more than a 3 day supply;

rarely greater than 7 day supply

IHS PDA Workgroup

Subgroups

• Patient Care
• Policy
• Education
• Monitoring
• Disposal/Storage
• Enforcement

Websites

• www.ihs.gov/painmanagement
• www.ihs.gov/odm

Naloxone Access First Responders

• Program Elements

– BIA MOU approved in December 2015 – Toolkit:

• Standing Order
• Draft MOU language for tribal

sites

• Standardized Forms
• Training manual; training slides
• Status

– Training sessions hosted in OK, AZ, ND, SD, WY, MT, NM

• Max.gov site maintained

Naloxone Access Co-Prescribing

• Toolkit

– Draft Collaborative Practice Agreement for pharmacists – Documentation templates – Training sessions – RPMS Report and Information Processor program—assist with identification of high risk patients (MMEs, concurrent benzo) – Increasing capacity

Perinatal Substance Use

Blackfeet Service Unit, Browning, MT

• Background:

– Rapidly increasing numbers of infants born to mothers under the influence of or recently taken no-prescribed substances of abuse identified by perinatal testing at the

28.00 42.00 50.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 2008 2012 2016

% Infants Born Drug Exposed

Series1 Series2

Possible Root Causes:

• 1. Drug Availability
• 2. Low Socioeconomic Status
• 3. Lack of prevention education
• 4. Lack of hope among population
• 5. Lack of available rehabilitation options
• 6. Fear of losing infants
• 7. Lack of family support/structure

Current Condition: Now all pre-natals and deliveries are being tested and the number of drug exposed infants is increasing at a high rate.

Perinatal Substance Use

• Workgroup Goals:

– Design and seek to implement a culturally appropriate clinical model suitable for IHS that addresses the treatment and maintenance of Opioid Use Disorders in pregnancy. – Work with partners (AAP, ACOG) to seek national guidelines for develop additional training resources. – Explore effective integrated models of care

Education

• IHS Essential Training on Pain and Addiction

– Updated curriculum – 1832 I/T/U providers trained – 966 of 2109 (46%) IHS mandated workforce

• PCSS-OBOT

– Via a partnership with the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM) and SAMHSA, Buprenorphine Waiver Trainings are freely available to all I/T/U providers

IHS Pain & Addiction ECHO Time Changes

Starting on July 6th

1st Wednesday: Eastern/Central Time Focus

2nd Wednesday: Mountain Time Focus

3rd Wednesday: Pacific Time Focus

4th Wednesday: Alaska Time Focus

Monitoring

• Finalized Draft IHS Chapter 32—

– Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs – Best Practices:

• Prescriber registration with state PDMP
• Prospective queries (new patient, dose escalation)
• Use of delegate accounts
• Dispenser reporting
• Pharmacist query with outside prescription and every 3

months for a refill

Enforcement

• Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts Summary

approved for inclusion on IHS Pain Management Website

– Designed to inform I/T/U leadership of the Wellness Court model to promote collaboration with tribal judiciary systems and support the expansion of the Wellness Court model

• Controlled Substance Utilization Best Practice

Guide for I/T/U Leadership: Reconciling with proposed Indian Health Manual Chapter 7 (Pharmacy) revision

– Currently pending review and approval

Upcoming Initiatives

• In Progress:

– PDA Workgroup Transitioning to Committee – Comprehensive 5-year Work-Plan prepared – Special General Memo—Essential Training on Pain and Addictions prescriber requirement – Chapter 30 Update—Chronic Pain Management – Medication Assisted Treatment

MAT

• Develop best practice guidelines to assist sites

with assessment of local capacity and program development to increase access to MAT

• Publish survey to identify current status,

identify barriers, identify perceptions (community & prescribers)

• Develop YouTube video series for community

members

• Publish Opioid detoxification strategies on

website

Upcoming Initiatives

• Planned

– Metrics workgroup formed: identify meaningful budget and program metrics – Harm Reduction:

• Naloxone: expand co-prescribing; CMO Grand Rounds
• Syringe Exchange Programs

Needs

• Patient Care Subgroup:

– Increased membership and participation

• Mid-level providers, nursing, addiction specialists,

behavioral health practitioners

• Local leadership awareness and support of

concepts

– Pain management: Chapter 30, SGM for Training – Harm reduction – MAT: assess capacity and participate in community collaboratives to create holistic treatment models

Subgroup Leads

• Chairs: CAPT Stephen (Miles) Rudd, MD; CAPT

Cynthia Gunderson, PharmD

• Patient Care: CDR Ted Hall, PharmD
• Policy: Stephen Sanders, MD
• Education: Chris Fore, PhD
• Monitoring: LCDR Hillary Duvivier, PharmD
• Disposal/Storage: CAPT Tracie Patten, PharmD
• Enforcement : CDR Michael Verdugo, PharmD;

CDR David Axt, PharmD

Recruitment & Retention and Workforce Development Workgroup (RRWDW)

National Combined Councils Meeting June 22, 2016

Hiring Challenges

• Rural/frontier locations
• Pay and benefits
• Acceptable housing
• Employment for spouses
• Choice of schools
• Permanent leadership
• Availability of support staff
• Available funding
• Travel restrictions
• Training for managers/leaders
• Accurate job analysis and

determination of competencies

• Finding qualified applicants
• Individuals blocking panels
• Credentialing and privileging
• Tribal shares

Current Key Strategies

• In-person recruitment
• Virtual events
• Online marketing/

social media

• Partnerships
• Commercial

recruitment firms

• Student programs:
• Scholarships
• Externships/JRCOSTEP
• Grant Programs
• Loan Repayment Program
• Retention website

(ihs.gov/retention)

• Full-time Area recruiters
• Relationships with

local/regional, rural-focused colleges

• Career Counselors
• Medical student agreements
• Improving HR systems
• Compensation flexibility
• HR training and support

OHR Pay and Benefits Policy

Updated and Pending Policy:

• Blanket waiver of the HHS relocation expenses policy for all IHS

positions.

• Exception to salary maximum — Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Title 38 PDP for intermittent employees (pending ITAS update)
• Title 38 special salary rate for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
• Use of Commercial Recruiting Firms to assist in recruitment.

Other items

• Exploring developing additional Title 38 special salary rates
• Examining the feasibility of premium pay for Nurses

OHR Pay and Benefits Policy

New Requests:

• To have access to all Title 38 authorities (e.g., 8 hours annual

leave)

• Tax relief and half-time Scholarship/Loan Repayment service

Human Resources Accomplishments

• OHR has implemented a new SES search committee

process and advertised vacant Area Director positions.

• OHR has released an interim drug testing plan based on

reasonable suspicion and is drafting a comprehensive program for the long term. Ongoing Activities

• Looking into Workforce and Succession Planning
• Developing IT systems for credentialing, background

investigations, and ethics; applicant tracking, pre- recruitment activities.

Activities Already Underway in 2016

• Pursuing increased Title 38 Special Salary Rates for

identified disciplines.

• Reviewing the need for increases for physician specialties
• r salary flexibilities by location.
• Reviewing the need for and ability of sites to provide post-

graduate training opportunities for behavioral health and

• ther disciplines.
• Increasing collaboration/communication between HQ OHR,

Area Offices, and Regional HR to improve consistency of procedures and use of best practices across IHS.

Continued from 2015 Workgroup Plan

Activities Already Underway in 2016

• Evaluating IHS Human Resources function, staffing level,

efficiencies, and skills.

• Instituting GS-13/14/15 career ladders for certain positions

– physicians and CEOs.

• Developing HR metrics and tools to identify process and

systems issues.

• Supporting staff families – pursue legislation for

employment authority similar to DOD/DOS.

• Implementing entry and exit interviews/surveys.

Continued from 2015 Workgroup Plan

Activities Already Underway in 2016

• Organizing a Division of Recruitment bringing together the

DHPS Recruitment Branch and global recruitment HR Specialists.

• Increasing collaboration between NHSC and DHPS.
• Improving systems and procedures with background

investigations.

• Developing recruitment/retention materials that can support

specific categories, disciplines, locations.

• Working with regional HR to enhance direct-hire authority

and to improve job opportunity announcements.

• Developing HR Training for HR Staff and Managers.

Identified Priorities for the Next Year

1. Strategize Physician Recruitment. 2. Improve application process and assistance to applicants. 3. Evaluate HR staff (adequate numbers and organization) and ensure HR competency. 4. Support of Laboratory staff.

Physician Recruitment

• Tap into global health programs as a recruitment source.
• Review models of best practices in recruitment from the

private sector.

• Explore ability to offer salaries above the maximum for

certain disciplines or facilities/locations.

• Ensure consistency in application process for graduating

students and providers completing post-graduate training (make tentative offer).

• Make application process easier and clearer.
• Work on onboarding process to reduce delays.

Physician Recruitment cont’d

• Examine Commissioned Corps policies on incentive pay for

isolated hardship locations and hard-to-fill positions.

• Investigate salary movement in market and competition for

providers.

• Push for funding the Commissioned Corps Ready Reserve

Corps.

• Consider possible legislative requests for physician

scholarship program for non-Native providers, similar to US Air Force model.

Improve application process and assistance to applicants

• Increase the number of Area/local recruiters.
• Make application process easier and clearer.
• Leverage social media and YouTube videos.
• Review required documents procedures – ensure we are

not disqualifying applicants unnecessarily.

• Create global recruitment job vacancy announcements to

increase efficiency and ease burden on individuals.

• Develop applicant tracking procedures.
• Improve background investigation process.

Support of Laboratory Staff Hiring

• Evaluate conditions causing turnover IHS-wide.
• Strategize on combatting problem of national shortage -

approximately 4,000 graduates per year but 10,000 vacant positions.

• Look at Loan Repayment Program awards for Lab.
• Review compensation issues – cost of employees versus

contract staff and/or lab services.

Evaluate HR Staff – adequate numbers and competencies

• Evaluate HR function at all levels of the Agency.
• Appropriate number? Distribution? Organization?
• Skills and competencies.
• Ensure that HR Specialists are administering direct-hire

authority correctly.

• Initiate HR/Area Office Listening sessions.

Other Items Discussed

• Direct-hire authority for additional professions.

In Conclusion

While many new and exciting activities are underway at both the national and local level, we need your ideas and suggestions for ways to improve the recruitment and retention process. If you have additional ideas you wish to share after the meeting, please contact:

• Michael Weahkee — Michael.Weahkee@ihs.gov
• Lisa Gyorda – Lisa.Gyorda@ihs.gov
• Robert Pittman — Robert.Pittman@Ihs.gov
• Jennifer Fry – Jennifer.Fry@ihs.gov

Questions? Additional Recommendations? Thank You!

DHPS Funding

IHS Vacancy Rates

* Data submitted as of March 2016 from federal sites only, not Tribal.

Profession 2016* 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 Physician 41% 25% 23% 20% 21% 24% Pharmacist 18% 6.6% 6.5% 4.3% 5.8% 6% Nurse 29% 18% 16% 15% 15% 16% Dentist 27% 18% 14% 10% 10% 12% Physician Assistant 32% 21% 24% Advanced Practice Nurse 35% 25% 23% Optometrist 14% 11.5% 12% 11% 10%

National Advertising Summary

The media plan includes: Job Postings —

• From ihs.gov — Open and continuous, as well as listed by

facility, Area and health care discipline and specialty.* Monthly, these job postings are then reposted to targeted health professional job sites.

• For colleges and universities — Posting jobs through college

and university recruitment networks.

• Some publications cross-post jobs across other sites, such as

indeed.com, simplyhired.com and google.com.

* In 2015, more than 274,000 IHS health professional job postings were clicked on from sites such as 3RNet.com, Allnurses.com, CollegeRecruiter.com, HealtheCareers.com, HealthJobsNationwide.com, LinkedIn.com, MDLinx.com, StaffPhysicianRecruiter.com, NurseCareerBoard.com, Recruitmilitary.com and RXCareerCenter.com.

National Advertising Summary (cont.)

The media plan also includes: Targeted eMail Blasts — Sponsored content developed to reach job seekers who have

• pted in to receive updates:
• By Area, region, state or section of a state.
• By discipline or specialty.

National Advertising Summary (cont.)

The media plan also includes: Advertising —

• Company Profile Pages on our advertisers’ websites that

provide candidates with an understanding of the culture and mission of IHS.

• Digital banner ads on key websites that our target audiences

frequent.

• Other opportunities based on media availability or needs that

arise among Indian health facilities.

Social Media

Twitter: Launched in March, the IHS recruitment account handle is @IHS_Jobs. The account directs followers to the IHS Jobs website and other important events and deadlines. LinkedIn: The IHS click-through rate is performing at six times the industry average. IHS’ LinkedIn page now has 9,292 total followers. Facebook: The IHS Health Professions Recruitment page was visited by 17,151 individual users in the past year.

Media Examples

eMail Blasts, Banner Ads and Social Media

2015 Media Outcomes

• More than 1,100 health profession vacancies announced.

(This does not include vacancies from all service units.)

• Job Posting Outcomes

– 55,115 reposts of announced vacancies to niche publications. – Resulting in an average of 5 clicks for every job posted (individuals looking at the job announcement).

• Marketing content reach — 31 targeted email blasts to

health care discipline-specific audiences. Of those:

– 384,891 were opened. – 22,890 click-throughs (individuals looking at the job announcement).

2015 Media Outcomes (cont.)

National Advertising and Lead Generation — 2015 Outcomes Vacancy fiscal year (FY) 2015 Results (Data pulled from HR Staffing for Federal Jobs)

• Thousands of applications received for 22 key health

profession disciplines.

• 972 hires made in 22 key health profession disciplines.
• 7 applications received for each vacancy announced (average

from application count data pulled for HR Staffing).

• Additional agency awareness gained — 5,982,781

impressions/views of the Indian Health Service career brand viewed via 21 publications.

In-person Recruitment 2016

PRI-MED South (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and PAs)

February 5 – 7

American Pharmacists Assoc. Annual Meeting and Exposition

March 4 – 7

American Medical Women’s Association Annual Meeting

March 10 – 13

Uniformed Services Academy

• f Family Physicians

March 18 – 22

American College of Physicians

May 5 – 7

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

July 28 – 30

American College of Emergency Physicians

• Oct. 15 – 18

2016 Virtual Career Fair

• Three events held in 2016.
• Established email contact

with all 965 registrants.

• Conducted live virtual chats

with 239 candidates.

• Added a Great Plains Area

booth in April.

• Last event to be held

in September.

Career Counselor Outreach

• Targeting career counselors in colleges,

universities and medical schools (400+).

• Distributing the Career Connections

quarterly eNewsletter series.

• Sending the Career Counselor Kits in 2015.

– Conducting a Career Counselor List Maintenance and Expansion:

» Expansion efforts include identifying new contacts through phone calls, emails and social networking. » Research has been expanded to include high schools and Tribal colleges.

• Posting jobs on college and university

recruitment networks.

IHS Scholarship Program

IHS Scholarship Program FY 2015

Preparatory and Pre-Graduate Awards

Discipline Awards Pre-Clinical Psychology 3 Pre-Nursing 16 Pre-Pharmacy 10 Pre-Social Work 2 Pre-Dentistry 10 Pre-Medicine 40 Pre-Optometry 2 Total 83

IHS Scholarship Program FY 2015 (cont.)

Health Professions Awards

Discipline Awards Chemical Dependency Counseling 3 Clinical Psychology 10 Dentistry 36 Health Records 5 Medical Technology 3 Nurse Midwife 3 Nurse Practitioner 15 Nurse, Associate Degree 12 Nurse, Baccalaureate Degree 31 Nurse, Master’s Degree 2 Optometry 11 Pharmacy 36 Discipline Awards Physical Therapy 13 Physician Assistant 12 Physician, Allopathic 28 Physician, Osteopathic 9 Podiatry 1 Respiratory Therapy 1 Sanitarian 1 Social Work 16 Ultrasonography 1 X-Ray Technology 2 Total 251

Scholarship Program Applicants/Recipients by IHS Area

IHS Extern Program FY 2015

Discipline Externs Clinical Psychology 2 Dentist 8 Engineering 10 Environmental Health 1 Medical Technology 2 Nurse 29 Optometry 3 Pharmacy 51 Physician 2 Physical Therapy 1 Podiatry 1 Sanitarian 6 Social Work 2 X-Ray Technology 2 Total 120 Discipline Externs Pre-Medical Technology 2 Pre-Pharmacy 1 Pre-Medicine 1 Total 4

Externships by IHS Area

IHS Grant Programs

Indians Into Medicine Program (INMED)

• A five-year grant offered to public and nonprofit private

colleges and universities to support the enrollment of American Indians and Alaska Natives to pursue careers in health care.

• Grantees for 2014 to 2019:

– University of Wisconsin – University of Arizona – University of North Dakota

IHS Grant Programs (cont.)

American Indians Into Nursing Program

• A three-year program working to increase the number of

Nurses, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Anesthetists and Nurse Practitioners who deliver health care services to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

• Grantees for 2013 to 2016 are:

– Arizona State University – University of North Dakota – Montana State University – Salish Kootenai College

IHS Grant Programs (cont.)

American Indians Into Psychology Program

• Serves the growing need for well-trained Clinical Psychologists
• f American Indian and Alaska Native descent.
• Grantees for 2014 to 2019 are:

– Oklahoma State University – University of North Dakota – University of Montana

2015 LRP Awards

Health Professions Funded for LRP

Unfunded LRP Applicants

LRP 2015

FY 2014 and FY 2015 Comparison (as of 8/3/2015)

Profession FY 2014 FY 2015 Online Application 1,296 1,135 Complete Applications 828 955 New 2-Year Contracts 379 437 Continuation Contracts 331 395 Total Contracts 710 832 Profession FY 2014 FY 2015 Serving 2nd year of Contract 519 379 Total LRP Recipients Working 1,229 1,211 Profession FY 2014 FY 2015 Matched Unfunded 118 200 Unmatched Unfunded 468 413

Ambassador Program

The IHS Ambassador Program is a unique mentorship initiative that partners national, Area and local recruiters with college faculty, residency and rural health program directors, externship coordinators and other supporters of IHS. Ambassadors help recruit for Indian health programs by educating and counseling health clinicians as they consider an Indian health career.

Partnerships

IHS works closely with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to cross-promote recruitment and retention activities:

• NHSC Virtual Job Fair (VJF) for Indian health facilities.
• Follow-up to NHSC Job Fair leads.
• Regular communication with NHSC Division of

External Affairs.

• Working with NHSC providers needing assignments.
• Working with HRSA NURSE Corps to promote nursing
• pportunities at Indian health facilities.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

• Health Professional Shortage Area Site Scores
• NHSC Jobs Center (nhscjobs.hrsa.gov)
• IHS Site Profiles
• NHSC Scholars and loan repayment recipients serving in

Indian Health programs (as of May 2016):

– 380 NHSC Loan Repayment Program recipients – 21 NHSC Scholars – 683 eligible sites – 334 vacancy announcements

Communication and Recruiter Support

• Physician Recruitment Group (PRG) Monthly Call
• Monthly Recruiter Insider eNewsletter
• Monthly Retention Brief eNewsletter
• Recruiter Help Desk
• Recruitment Event Kit
• Site Profiles
• How to Apply for IHS Jobs YouTube Videos
• Maintenance and Support of the OHR/DHPS Online Fulfillment System
• Co-op Advertising Program
• Retention Website (www.ihs.gov/retention)
• Resume Mining Webinars

Co-op Advertising Program

The recently launched Co-op Advertising Program provides recruiters with national campaign materials, some of which can be customized with Area-specific photos and text details. The program provides:

• Media resizing and placement support for local advertising.
• Job posting support.
• Extensive training.

Resume Mining Webinars

Resume mining has become an increasingly popular recruitment practice that involves sorting through resumes housed on media, social media sites and talent networks to identify prospective candidates who have the training and skills to complement your facility and staff. In an effort to ensure that all recruiters understand the value of resume mining and take full advantage of available sources for mining talent, DHPS held a series of webinar trainings hosted by publication partners 3RNet, Federal Practitioner, Health Jobs Nationwide, MDLinx, PhysicianJobBoard, RxCareer Center, AfterCollege, National Council for Behavioral Health and TAOnline.

Online Fulfillment System — Overview

• Provides national, Area and local recruiters access to

recruitment and retention, Loan Repayment, Scholarship and Co-op Advertising materials.

• Tribal facilities are required to leave 100 percent of recruitment

shares to gain access to the system.

• Materials Quick Reference Guide (QRG) —

www.ihs.gov/retention/documents/IHS_QRG_MaterialsInventory.pdf

• Fulfillment website — fulfill.graphictouch.net/ihs/ofs
• Deliveries can be made to your facility or a recruitment

event location with free shipping.

Retention

Support Materials:

• Retention Briefs eNewsletters
• Employee Referral Program Brochure
• Organizational Onboarding Brochure
• New Hire Transition Brochure
• Successful Transitions (Urban to

Rural) Brochure and Workbook

• Retention website

(www.ihs.gov/retention)

OHR Pay and Benefits Policy

Updated and Pending Policy:

• Exception to salary maximum — Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Converted physicians to Title 38 PDP.
• Title 38 PDP for intermittent employees.
• Title 38 special salary rate for Certified Registered Nurse

Anesthetists.

• Exploring developing additional Title 38 special salary rates.
• Costing out premium pay for PIMC Nurses.

New Requests:

• To have access to all Title 38 authorities.
• Tax relief and half-time SCH/LRP service.

Human Resources Accomplishments

• HHS signed a blanket waiver of the relocation expenses policy

for all IHS positions.

• OHR has implemented a new SES search committee process

and advertised vacant Area Director positions.

• OHR has released an interim drug testing plan based on

reasonable suspicion and drafting a comprehensive program for the long term.

• Looking into Workforce and Succession Planning.
• Developing an IT system for credentialing, Personal Security

Representative and ethics.

Recruitment and Management Reform Plan

Improve the Organizational Structure for Recruitment and Hiring:

• Establish a centralized Recruitment Division at the

Headquarters-level reporting to the OHR Director.

• Ensure that each IHS Area has a full-time Area recruiter.
• Require that each IHS Area and federal Service

Unit/facility develop and implement an annual Recruitment and Retention Plan.

• Provide the Division of Recruitment with Direct Hire

Authority (DHA) for qualified health professionals.

Recruitment and Management Reform Plan (cont.)

Improve Recruitment and Retention Systems:

• Develop a system to determine actual vacancies at all

IHS facilities.

• Improve coordination with pipeline programs to retain

health professionals.

• Maintain marketing, recruitment and retention activities.
• Create a more effective applicant tracking and

referral system.

Recruitment and Management Reform Plan (cont.)

Improve Recruitment and Retention Systems:

• Add incentives in the form of pay and other benefits to

attract and retain health professionals.

• Increase the number and use of external partnerships

for recruitment.

• Conduct formal entrance interviews with all new hires

and exit interviews for departing employees.

• Partner with the Office of the Surgeon General and

Public Health Service to streamline the commissioning process for applicants going to IHS critical positions.

• Distribute critical vacancies through CCHQ listserv.

Recruitment and Management Reform Plan (cont.)

Provide Manager Support for Retention:

• Provide development opportunities and support to managers

to improve their abilities and attention to supporting and retaining employees.

NCC INTER-COUNCILS WORKGROUP ON SUICIDE CARE

JUNE 21, 2016

• Build on work from 2011-2015 Suicide Strategic Plan
• Reestablish Charter for SCWG: SPC 2.0
• Update Strategic Plan
• 3 Interrelated committees
• Policy - Chris Poole, CDR Kari Hearod
• ZS – Derek Patton, Kristie Brooks –HQ Advisory Sean Bennett
• Crisis Response – Crystal Hartis HQ Advisory Pamela End of Horn
• Meetings of the SCWG
• Quarterly for SC WG
• Additional meetings of committees as need
• Use of virtual platforms, SharePoint, and LISTSERV to communicate

efficiently

• Challenges
• Suicide Care must be Health System care and not simply BH care
• Lack of Standardization
• Acknowledging Privacy Issues that exist
• Culture as Prevention: Primary/Community Prevention Efforts must

be broadly supported

• Partnership between Community and IHS
• Recruitment/Retention of Qualified Staff
• Leadership, Relationships, Hope!

 National Leadership Council  National Pharmacy Council  NCCEO  NCBH  Wanted: Additional Partners!