Tuesday, March 08, 2005

American Psychiatric Foundation Announces Recipients of Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health Medical News Today story - "The American Psychiatric Foundation has named a California psychiatrist and organizations in Pennsylvania, Idaho and California as the recipients of the second annual APF Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health. The awards, formerly known as the Minority Mental Health Awards, will be presented at the 2005 APF Annual Benefit in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, May 21."  
  

Cuts in mental health studied (Missouri) Joplin Globe story - "Thousands of area residents could no longer get treatment for psychiatric, alcohol and drug problems, spokeswomen for two local service providers said Monday, if state lawmakers approve cutbacks in mental-health spending that have been proposed by Gov. Matt Blunt. Proposed funding cuts for the Missouri Department of Mental Health were reviewed Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The cuts would translate to a loss of 'essential services in mental-illness and substance-abuse programs,' said Paula Baker, chief executive officer of Ozark Center. She said the cuts would increase state costs later, when many people ended up in local hospitals or jails."  
  

Implementing direct payments in mental health (UK) Joseph Rowntree Foundation article at Disabilities.AFreePress.com - "Direct payments increase the choice and control that people have over the support they receive. The take-up of direct payments by people experiencing mental health problems has been extremely low in most parts of the country. This project, New Directions, was undertaken by the Health and Social Care Advisory Service and draws on a range of discussions with over 250 service users and staff in order to identify what needs to happen for direct payments to be successfully implemented."  
  

Psychologists Recognize Rep. Ted Strickland for Leadership on Mental Health Issues PR Newswire press release at Yahoo - "U.S. Representative Ted Strickland (D- OH) received the American Psychological Association's (APA) Outstanding Leadership Award last night for his advocacy on behalf of those with mental health disorders. Rep. Strickland, one of only three psychologists in Congress, was honored at a dinner held during APA's annual State Leadership Conference. Rep. Strickland has long worked on behalf of psychologists and those with mental health disorders. A member of the influential House Commerce Subcommittee on Health, he is a longtime supporter of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, which would put insurance coverage for mental health services on par with physical health services."  
  

Pennsylvanians can now prepare advance mental health directives Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story - "A new state law gives Pennsylvania residents authority to prepare the documents, known as mental health or psychiatric advance directives. The documents enable adults to appoint a representative to make mental health care decisions on their behalf and to make known their preferences about treatment options. The directives take effect under circumstances specified in the documents or when a psychiatrist and another treatment professional determine that someone is incapable of making mental health care decisions."  
  

Schizophrenics need more help, health boards told (New Zealand) Story at Stuff - "Health boards are not doing enough to support and listen to the families of schizophrenia sufferers, an advocacy group says. A national study by the Mental Health Commission has found only half of the 21 district health boards employ family advisers, even though the Government has provided funding for the positions. Family advisers became a requirement in 1999 to advocate for the families of people with a mental illness. An estimated one in five New Zealanders suffer from a mental illness at some stage in their lives and one in 100 will develop a severe psychosis or mental illness such as schizophrenia."