Thursday, June 05, 2003
How does Magellan's bankruptcy affect psychologists? APA Monitor article on the impact of the bankruptcy filing by Magellan Health Services Inc. on oractitioners and providers who must now reassess their risk and financial exposure, even as "the filing allowed the company to continue to operate in a 'business as usual' mode so far."
The drive to fix health care Article in the June
APA Monitor on the Wye River Group on Health Care, "which APA sponsors along with groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons, IBM, the White House Council of Economic Advisors, the American Cancer Society and Motorola. Wye River Group, essentially a health-care "think tank," was founded by Chief Executive Officer Jon Comola, a health-care analyst, about five years ago."
SAMHSA Launches Initiative To Fight Stigma And Discrimination Associated With Mental Illnesses SAMHSA press release - "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today the launch of its Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) in eight States: California, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The EBI is a three-year initiative aimed at identifying effective public education approaches to combat the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses."
Mental illness too much for Phoenix staff (Vermont) Story in the
Brattleboro Reformer - "The severity of mental-health problems among women applying to the local Mothers and Children program created a key obstacle to the program's survival, according to Patrick McEneaney, the executive director of Phoenix House of New England. McEneaney said the applicants' mental health problems were often too serious for staff members to handle." Officials decided to end the program last month. The story notes that "....some state health officials suggest that the increase in diagnosed mental illness among people with alcohol and drug addiction may reflect a change in the state's treatment philosophies, rather than an increase in mental illness itself."
Proposed job cuts stun Missouri social agencies Story in the
Kansas City Star - "House budget writers on Wednesday approved a new spending plan that would reshape management of Missouri's social service system by eliminating more than 500 jobs. Administrators of the departments of Health and Senior Services, Mental Health, and Social Services were reeling from the plan, which they learned about late Monday afternoon. They said they were still trying to determine the effect of the proposed job cuts and the changes that would be necessary to cope with the exodus."
Getting mentally ill back on track (Massachusetts) Story in the
MetroWest Daily News - "Police agree a jail cell is no place for someone with mental illness, but up until two months ago officers had few options when dealing with people who are a danger to themselves or others. Since April, when Advocates Inc. and the Framingham Police Department joined forces to keep the mentally ill out of jail, more people have been referred to treatment rather than to the criminal justice system. Now people with mental illness who commit crimes are not automatically arrested, but are evaluated at the scene by Advocates clinicians who work with officers to identify people at risk."
Agencies lament loss of state funding (Pennsylvania) Story in
The Citizens Voice - "Two social service agency officials Wednesday attended a meeting of the Luzerne County commissioners and lamented the loss of funding that has severely reduced their ability to deliver vital services to individuals with physical and mental disabilities and those addicted to substance abuse."
Assembly passes mental health `parity' bill (New York) Newsday story - "The state Assembly passed a bill Wednesday requiring insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment comparable to that provided for physical ailments. The measure was immediately assailed by the state's largest corporate lobbying group as representing another mandate that will drive up the cost of doing business in New York state. A chief Assembly sponsor of the bill, Montgomery County Democrat Paul Tonko, said current law allows insurance companies to deny coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of chemical dependency or mental health problems."
