Thursday, February 19, 2004
When a Person is Arrested: How to HelpA handbook (in
Adobe Acrobat format) that is a joint project of NAMI New York State and the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project. The NAMI web site notes, " In this handbook you will find general advice as to what procedures to follow when a person with mental illness is arrested. This handbook covers information that will answer questions such what to do, how to find a person who has been arrested, working with a defense attorney, practical tips on dealing with defense attorneys, laws relating to people with mental illness, advocating for a defendant to be sentenced to treatment, advocating for discharge planning, advocating for someone on probation or parole, clearing up a warrant, and so much more."
Medicaid's Federal-State Partnership: Alternatives for Improving Financial IntegrityA report (in
Adobe Acrobat format) from Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured - "As the federal government increases its scrutiny of state financing of the Medicaid program, this paper, authored by a former CMS official, evaluates the existing financial management of the Medicaid program. Using existing models from the private sector and the government, the paper identifies alternatives to improve Medicaid's financial management without changing Medicaid's existing financing structure. The alternatives would reduce the Medicaid program's exposure to questionable practices, help control federal costs, and make the financial management of the program more comparable with that of the private sector."
Clinical Research "Undernourished" in U.S. Health SystemMedscape Medical News story - "A scarcity of clinical investigators to conduct research that translates basic scientific discoveries into proven clinical therapies is limiting the impact of important advances in medicine, a leading medical educator warned. 'This undernourished part of the U.S. health care system is the critical link that provides the only mechanism to develop the evidence needed to define effective health strategies and monitor the effectiveness of strategies,' writes Ralph Snyderman, MD, president and chief executive officer of the Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of an editorial in the Feb. 18 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. A study on grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) appears in the same issue of the journal." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Psychiatric Assistance Aimed at Latinos (Maryland)Washington Post story - "Because of language and cultural barriers, Howard County's Latino immigrants are less likely than most people to seek professional help for emotional problems, said community activists and mental health specialists. This month, a new $10,000 grant and partnership between the Howard County Mental Health Authority and a Latino community group are extending mental health help to Spanish-speaking immigrants by recruiting bilingual therapists and paying their fees. Donna Wells, executive director of the Mental Health Authority, said identifying and treating mental health problems could help immigrants with other aspects of adjusting to a different culture."
DSHS gets failing grades in U.S. review of child safety (Washington)Seattle Times story - "A federal review of 50 child-welfare cases in Washington state has found disturbing trends in child-abuse investigations and an acute shortage of mental-health care for foster children. But the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is not alone in receiving failing grades from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All 48 states examined by the federal auditors in the past two years fell short of new federal standards for child-welfare systems..."
Committee: Stop accepting out-of-county mental health patients (Wisconsin)Green Bay News-Chronicle story - "The Brown County Human Services Committee passed a resolution barring the acceptance of voluntary out-of-county patients at the Mental Health Center and passed another asking the state to help pay the cost of out-of-county patients that is not covered by the state's medical assistance program. Six of the seven committee members voted to pass the resolution that says the county will no longer accommodate out-of-county patients on the state's medical assistance program if Brown County has to subsidize the cost..."
State looking for guidance on mental health issues (Montana)Story in the
Bozeman Daily Chronicle - "State health officials visited Bozeman Wednesday to hear concerns about mental health services as they prepare for the next legislative session. ... The Bozeman meeting was one of nine held in cities across the state. Local mental health providers, drug and alcohol prevention specialists and family members of mental health patients attended the meeting."
