Wednesday, May 07, 2003

Quantifying the Costs
Article in HealthLeaders Magazine on quantifying the costs of compliance with HIPAA.  
  

A Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free
A SAMHSA-sponsored "public education Web site, developed to support the efforts of parents and other caring adults to promote mental health and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among 7- to 18-year-olds."  
  

Community Action Grant for Service Systems Change
SAMHSA Grant Opportunity - "SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) announces the availability of $1,000,000 in funding for Phase II Community Action Grants. Successful Phase I grantees may apply for one-year Phase II grants of up to $150,000 (direct and indirect). The purpose of the Community Action Grant Program (CAG) is to promote the adoption of exemplary mental health practices in communities around the country. Community Action Grants support consensus building, infrastructure development, and training activities for the organization and delivery of services to children with serious emotional disturbance, adults with serious mental illness, and those with co-occurring substance disorders. ..."  
  

Programs' funding is uncertain (New Hampshire)
Concord Monitor story - "Mental health centers and facilities caring for the disabled face a $13 million funding cut next year unless federal officials do the unexpected, state officials said yesterday. Federal officials probably won't approve a unique plan designed to capture money for services for the mentally ill and disabled, Health and Human Services Commissioner Nick Vailas told House and Senate budget writers."  
  

Human services issues heard at Legislative Breakfast (New Jersey)
Story in Today's Sunbeam on a legislative breakfast held by the Inter-Agency Council of Human Services, focusing on the impact of cuts in the Family Care Program and Medicaid program - "Because of their economic and mental health situations it is thought that many clients would simply no longer visit a doctor and go without their needed medications."  
  

Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office Celebrates 20th Anniversary (Canada)
Canada Newswire story - "The Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO), established in 1983 as an arm's length program of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, has provided independent advocacy and rights advice services to inpatients of the current and former provincial psychiatric hospitals since 1983. Today it will celebrate a significant milestone, its 20th Anniversary." See also the PPAO web site.  
  

Lawmakers hear plea for mental health funds (Maine)
Portland Press Herald story - "Almost apologetically, Maine's mental health chief spelled out a new round of proposed cutbacks Tuesday before a roomful of protesters, many wearing stickers that read 'Enough is enough.' "  
  

County approves new plan for mental health authority (North Carolina)
Citizen-Times story - "Buncombe County commissioners approved a business plan Tuesday for an eight-county mental health authority that would include greater input from families and consumers than originally proposed. Consent for the regional board consisting of eight county representatives and five providers, families or consumers was unanimous. The original plan submitted for consideration had only three spots for families, consumers and providers."