Friday, November 05, 2004

Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act Becomes Law
APA press release - "The Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (S. 1194) of 2004, which will improve access to mental health services for adult and juvenile non-violent offenders, was signed into law by the President on October 30. The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on October 6 and by the Senate on October 11."  
  

Voters gave their approval to a county-wide levy for the Lorain County Board of Mental Health (Ohio)
Morning Journal story - "According to unofficial final results, 75,825 voted for the levy, and 52,174 voted against it. The levy is a 5-year, 1.2 mill replacement levy to provide funds to continue mental-health services for low-income children and families, to keep a 24-hour hotline open and to help homeless families with mental-health problems, according to literature on the levy..." See also Mental health levy fails for the second time (Lancaster Eagle Gazette), Levies for senior citizens, mental health triumph (Toledo Blade) and Support strong for health, social care funding(Cincinnati Enquirer) on the the fate of other mental health ballot items in Fairfield, Lucas and Butler counties, respectively.
  
  

Psychiatrist slams mental health care (Canada)
London Free Press story - "Severely mentally ill people in the London region are neglected because psychiatrists flee in droves to escape an administration hostile to doctors and indifferent to patients, a London psychiatrist claims. Dr. Harold Merskey, world-renowned for his research, will give his views today on the system he says is in crisis. Since St. Joseph's Health Care London took over psychiatric care in 2001, there's been an exodus of psychiatrists..."  
  

Passage of Prop. 63 promises to transform mental health system
Sacramento Bee opinion column - "Championed by Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg and easily his most significant political achievement to date, Proposition 63, which passed with 53.4 percent of the vote, will raise an estimated $1.8 billion for mental health services through a 1 percent tax on annual personal incomes of $1 million or more. If it fulfills its promises, California will transform from a 'fail first' before you get services system to one that actually uses working models to treat people early on."  
  

California receives mental health windfall
Oakland Tribune story - "Stunned and delighted that California voters decided to tax millionaires to fund mental health services Tuesday, advocates and policy-makers are gearing up to compete for the windfall. ... Proposition 63 will raise about $275 million this fiscal year and $800 million annually thereafter for a wide range of mental health services. About 53 percent of voters approved the measure, while nearly 47 percent opposed it."