Friday, April 16, 2004

State Mental Health Authorities Response to Terrorism
A 73 page report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Medical Directors Council  - "The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Medical Directors Council developed its ninth technical paper through a series of pre-meeting conferences calls and extensive discussions at a workgroup summit held May 5-6, 2003 in Alexandria, VA. Participants included State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) medical directors, commissioners, public health leaders, consumers, disaster mental health experts, and consultants with Federal and State response experience..."  
  

Answering the Challenge: Responses to the New Freedom Commission Final Report
The Spring 2004 issue of networks, the newsletter of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, focuses on the impact of last year's New Freedom Commission report, gathering viewpoints from Commission members, consumers who work in the field and federal officials (Adobe Acrobat format).    
  

$150,000 Available For Substance Abuse Services Research
SAMHSA press release - "The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing the availability of funds to support dissertation research involving data analysis on substance abuse services issues. The dissertation must examine in a quantitative way a problem or issue in the area of substance abuse. Approximately $150,000 will be available for five grants in FY 2004..."  
  

Mental health symptoms common at Pentagon after 9/11
Center for the Advancement of Health press release at EurekAlert - "About 40 percent of Pentagon personnel screened for mental health disorders in the four months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were at high risk for problems like generalized anxiety, panic attacks, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or alcohol abuse, a new study finds. Nearly 21 percent of the individuals screened in the study also say the attacks impaired their daily functioning, according to the report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine."  
  

Mental health providers worry over proposed funds (Illinois)
Quad City Times story - "Proposed changes in the way Illinois pays for services are raising concerns among the state’s mental health community, concerns the Department of Human Services, or DHS, is attempting to squelch. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed mental health providers switch from flat-grant funding to a fee-for-service system in order to capture an additional $60 million in Medicaid funds as lawmakers wrestle with an estimated $1.7 billion to $3.8 billion deficit. Under the current system, providers receive grants upfront. The proposed model would require providers to submit a bill after services are provided."  
  

Cuts will affect thousands (North Carolina)
Story in the Raleigh News Observer - "In less than three months, thousands of people across North Carolina who have received mental health services at state expense will find they are no longer eligible. And many who still qualify could see their contacts with county mental health systems reduced to a quick evaluation over the phone and a referral to a private provider. The state no longer will pay for treatment of people with milder, mostly temporary mental illnesses, nor for substance abuse services for many adult males. The reason, state officials say, is to allow limited funds to help those most in need..."  
  

Carteret, Onslow pursue mental health services merger (North Carolina)
Story at the Sun Journal - "After nearly two hours of questions, a Carteret County commissioner asked that his board begin the process of pursuing a merger with Onslow County which would put its mental health services under a new agency. Commissioner Jack Dawsey asked that the Board of Commissioners consider a resolution of intent for Carteret County to merge with Onslow County Behavioral Healthcare Services. While the board will wait until its meeting Monday night to take action, Dawsey said approval would allow the counties to develop a plan for making a change to a new local management entity..."  
  

Schizophrenia in Women
Part of Medscape's coverage of the 2nd World Congress on Women's Mental Health - " Sex and gender differences in schizophrenia have been described for a long time, especially with respect to age at onset, symptomatology, and course of the disease. More recently, sex differences in brain morphology and function have been reported. Furthermore, there has been a growing interest in gender-specific psychosocial influences and gender-sensitive therapeutic approaches. Together, the presentations by several speakers during the 2nd World Congress on Women's Mental Health gave us a comprehensive overview of the evidence-based knowledge about sex and gender differences and the specifics of schizophrenic disorders in women..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free]. See also Economic Empowerment Improves Women’s Mental Health at Psychiatric Times, based on conference presentations.