Thursday, January 30, 2003
Dialogue Four Corners: Mental Health Announcement at the NIMH web site of an April 24 outreach event in Alberguerque, New Mexico - "The all day meeting will focus on mental health issues in the frontier "Four Corners" area of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in small discussion groups to share information on the progress in mental health research. These exchanges will allow NIMH to hear from the public and gather vital information to be used to help shape the direction of future research priorities." There is no registration fee, and this page contains links to hotel information, a registration form and a related listserv.
Medscape Psychiatry Journal Scan, December 2002 "Journal Scan is the clinician's guide to the latest clinical research findings in the American Journal of Psychiatry, The Lancet, Archives of General Psychiatry, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, and Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Short summaries of feature articles include links to the article abstracts and full text, when available." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Hospitals' Efforts to Diversify Operations Article in
Mental Health Weekly at
Medscape on how "psychiatric hospitals have gotten aggressive in diversifying their service and payor mixes." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
HHS, HUD, VA Announce Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness Announcement posted at the National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness - "The Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness is a $35 million, joint initiative with the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Veterans Affairs (VA). This initiative seeks to create a collaborative and comprehensive approach to addressing the problems of homelessness by providing a range of services and support needed to promote and maintain self-sufficiency. It includes improving access to housing services, substance abuse and mental health services and primary health care services." The announcement includes links to a Federal Register entry, application materials and information on a related satellite broadcast and webcast.
New research shows primary care for mentally ill reduces hospital stays (Canada) Article in the CMHA/Ontario newsletter
Mental Health Notes - "The Windsor Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has released new data on their innovative primary care program which shows that access to a nurse practitioner reduces visits to emergency rooms and crisis centres, as well as hospitalizations. This data supports the case for funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for additional primary care programs as proposed by CMHA branches throughout Ontario."
Counties examine data from ARC study (Minnesota) Story at the
Pine Journal on a joint study by St. Louis County social services, the planning department and Arrowhead Regional Corrections of current practices in placing children in care facilities outside of their homes - "A sample population showed the top five issues leading to placement are substance use/abuse by parents, child neglect, mental health of parents, children behavior problems and lack of supervision of older children."
Pataki's Proposed Budget Overhauls Mental Care New York Times story - "Gov. George E. Pataki announced a landmark plan yesterday to spend at least $80 million on housing and services for residents of adult homes for the mentally ill. The plan would overhaul and eventually do away with a neglect-ridden system that arose more than a generation ago when New York, like other states, began closing many of its psychiatric hospitals." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Medicaid Cost May Be Shifted (New York) Newsday story - "The cuts Gov. George Pataki proposed yesterday for the state's health care system would shift more of the cost of Medicaid programs to providers and would require seniors to pay extra for prescription drugs.... Mental health advocates, meanwhile, were generally pleased that while the plan closed some psychiatric facilities, it added more than 2,500 beds for adult home residents, children and the homeless."
Bill would require mental health coverage (Arizona) Story in
The Business Journal of Phoenix - "A group of Democratic state lawmakers has introduced legislation that would compel Arizona companies to provide mental health coverage to their employees including substance abuse treatment."
Mental Health workers rally across the state (Connecticut) WTNH story - "This is not just another budget crisis rally story. It includes the views of someone who took great courage to express them. Mental health workers joined clients and family members at the Mental Health Center at Park Street in New Haven, at the Capitol Region Center in Hartford, as well as five other centers around the state in an effort to put a face on spending cuts and what they mean."
Mental health proposal praised (Maryland) Baltimore Sun story - "Maryland's long-neglected mental health system for the poor and uninsured could rebound quickly because of a cash infusion proposed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., but it still faces staffing shortages and other problems, experts said Tuesday."
