Thursday, January 27, 2005

Reorganizing State Health Agencies to Meet Changing Needs: State Restructuring Efforts In 2003 Report (in Adobe Acrobat format) from the National Governor's Association, called to our attention at the Open Minds web site - "... As a result of fiscal pressures, almost every state sought to generate cost savings by allocating public resources more effectively. Because of the prominence of health care costs in most state budgets, health care was placed at the forefront of state cost-containment efforts. Moreover, many governors placed an emphasis on downsizing, reorganizing, and streamlining state government in order to achieve efficiencies and create cost-savings. This report provides a nationwide snapshot of state health agency organizational structures and examines state efforts to restructure these agencies during 2003. It also describes the focus, goals and overall outcomes of restructuring efforts. Because of Medicaid’s prominence in state budgets, it places special emphasis on changes affecting the Medicaid program and its placement in state organizational structures. It also highlights the organizational placement of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V MCH) program."  
  

Blueprint for Resilience: Services for Children, Adolescents and their Families A 90-page report (in Adobe Acrobat format) from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, originally published in August 2004 and called to our attention at the Open Minds web site - " The Blueprint For Resiliency, a strategic plan that will improve the lives of our children and establish a foundation for our system of care, will address early detection, assessment, treatment and needed supports that will promote the mental health of our children. The Blueprint is our plan to design and implement a comprehensive spectrum of mental health and other services which are organized into a network to meet the needs of our children and their families."  
  

WTC attack didn't increase mental health service use by general population NewsRx.com story at PsycPORT - "Study results show that use of mental health services by the general population in New York City didn't increase as a result of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The study was conducted by J.A. Boscarino, of the New York Academy of Medicine, and colleagues. Their objective, they said, 'was to assess prevalence and predictors of mental health service use in New York City (NYC) after the World Trade Center disaster (WTCD).' ..."  
  

Study reveals childhood vulnerabilities that may lead to eating disorders NewsRx.com story at PsycPORT - "Do childhood traits set the stage for eating disorders? New research suggests they might. In a study reported in the December 2004 American Journal of Psychiatry, psychiatrist Walter H. Kaye, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and an international team of researchers found that people with current or past eating disorders often report having had anxiety disorders in childhood, and that anxious symptoms tend to persist even after recovery from the eating disorder."  
  

Lilly Says UK Medical Journal Retracts Prozac Claim Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "The British Medical Journal has retracted its controversial claims about drug maker Eli Lilly and Co, its drug Prozac and a potential link to suicide, Lilly said on Thursday. The journal caused a stir late last year when it said it had evidence, including 'missing documents' suggesting a link between the anti-depressant and suicidal behavior and appearing to show Lilly had knowledge of these 'troubling side effects.' The medical journal now says its claim that Lilly let documents go missing was not what its authors intended."  
  

Mental health group says forgoing treatment is costing state millions (Wyoming)Casper Star-Tribune story - "A group of hospital, law enforcement and mental health officials say cuts in funding for mental health treatment is costing the state millions of dollars as untreated patients wind up in jails and emergency rooms. Figures released Wednesday by a coalition of 18 organization show admission rates for people seeking mental health and substance abuse treatment in emergency rooms grew by 83 percent during the last three years. That increase came as lawmakers the last two years cut funding for uninsured or underinsured adults and children by 30 percent. The $7.4 million eliminated because of the state's budget woes would have gone to pay for mental health treatment for people who aren't poor enough to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford to pay for treatment out of their own pockets, either."  
  

Draft Mental Health Bill unethical says BMA, UK Medical News Today story - "In its evidence (26 January 2005) to the Scrutiny Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales, the BMA has expressed extreme concerns about the proposed legislation. The Association believes that as the Bill stands it is unethical, unworkable and in conflict with the Human Rights Act." The story outlines the BMA's objections in detail.  
  

Mental health funds demand patience (California)Santa Cruz Sentinel story - "Mental health treatment in Santa Cruz County will expand thanks to a ballot measure passed in November, but the money won’t arrive any time soon. Patience will be the watchword for patients and advocates as the county goes through the laborious process it takes to get the cash. ... Proposition 63 established the Mental Health Services Act. It will tax incomes greater than $1 million by 1 percent with the revenue going to mental health treatment. For Santa Cruz County, the measure should garner about $4 million for 2005-06 and the following two fiscal years, with about $2 million of that earmarked for direct treatment. The county has a total mental health budget of about $35 million."  
  

Mental health groups ask to aid jail reform (New Jersey) Courier-Post story - "Mental health advocates say they're willing to help improve conditions at the Camden County Jail, but no one has asked them. 'We as a community have to come together and correct the overcrowded situation in the jail, as well as the high number of people with mental illnesses who are incarcerated there,' said Mary Lynne Reynolds, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Southwestern New Jersey. Chuck Steinmetz, coordinator for the county's mental health board, said his group "stands ready" to help. But no one has called. Retired Superior Court Judge John Mariano is heading a committee studying improvements at the jail. A subcommittee is considering improvements to mental health treatment for prisoners..."  
  

Nevada legislators concerned over mental-health resources Las Vegas Sun story - "State legislators expressed concern Wednesday about the quality of mental-health services that can be delivered until a state psychiatric hospital opens next year in Las Vegas. The hospital will have 150 beds, but until then, Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, said there is "a critical gap" in care. Lawmakers said a lack of beds and inadequate state funding for a triage center has created a serious gap that has mentally ill patients clogging Clark County emergency rooms."  
  

Teens fear mental health stigma (UK) BBC story - "Nearly half of Scottish schoolchildren would keep quiet about a mental health problem for fear of being stigmatised, a survey has found. The poll for the "see me" campaign also found one in 10 young Scots have experienced mental health problems. The findings are the basis for a new TV advert aimed at changing attitudes..."