Thursday, March 17, 2005

Psychopharmacology for Addiction Psychiatric Times article - "Proper treatment for addiction is best informed by the substance of addiction. The main categories of substance addiction and proper treatment recommendations are reviewed..."  
  

Recent Advances in Treatment Psychiatric Times article - " Mental disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a major public health problem, and when these disorders are left untreated, they have devastating consequences for affected individuals, their families and society. While not widely known, a number of important advances have been made in the past decade toward understanding and treating SUDs and SUD-related disorders. For example, one of the more recent innovations in treating specific SUDs has been the addition of pharmacotherapy to improve treatment response, beyond what patients obtain from psychotherapy or counseling. The benefit of pharmacotherapy has now been well documented in the treatment of nicotine, alcohol, opiate and, just recently, cocaine dependence disorders."  
  

Brain imaging study may hold clues to onset of schizophrenia in people at high risk Press release from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at EurekAlert - "Images of brain activity may hold clues to the onset of schizophrenia in people at high risk for the disease, according to a study headed by psychiatry researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. The new findings appear in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal of the American Medical Association. A decline in function in the prefrontal cortex, the 'executive' or front part of the brain, is present in high-risk individuals experiencing early symptoms of schizophrenia and may reflect biological changes that precede the onset of diagnosable illness, the study indicates."  
  

Kendra's Law: Final Report on the Status of Assisted Outpatient Treatment A 64-page report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the New York State Office of Mental Health, called to our attention at the Open Minds web site - "On August 9, 1999, Governor George Pataki signed Kendra’s Law (Chapter 408 of the Laws of 1999), creating a statutory framework for courtordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) to ensure that individuals with mental illness and a history of hospitalizations or violence participate in community-based services appropriate to their needs. ... Kendra’s Law established new mechanisms for identifying individuals who, in view of their treatment history and circumstances, are likely to have difficulty living safely in the community without close monitoring and mandatory participation in treatment. It also established mechanisms for ensuring that local mental health systems give these individuals priority access to case management and other services necessary to ensure their safety and successful community living."  
  

Substance Use and Need for Treatment Among Youths Who Have Been in Foster Care A February 2005 report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - "Youths from substance-abusing families frequently have serious emotional and behavioral problems, including a tendency to choose risky behavior, such as alcohol or other drug use. Substance abuse is a factor in at least three quarters of all foster care placements, and recent studies indicate high rates of lifetime substance use and substance use disorders for youths in the foster care system. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks youths aged 12 to 17 if they ever stayed in foster care. This report looks at the need for and receipt of substance abuse treatment among youths who have been in foster care. All estimates are annual averages based on combined 2002 and 2003 NSDUH data."  
  

SPRC & AFSP Release the Online Registry of Evidence-Based Practices in Suicide Prevention Press release (in Adobe Acrobat format) from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center - "The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) have completed development of an online registry of evidence-based suicide prevention programs. The registry of 14 programs represents an initial step in the collection and promotion of evidence-based suicide prevention programs and accomplishes Objective 10.3 of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Decision-makers can use the registry as a source of objective and reliable information as they select programs to implement. The registry is part of the Evidence-Based Practices Program (EBPP), which launched last spring. The goals of EBPP were to review evaluations of suicide prevention programs and classify them according to their demonstrated evidence." See also the main web page of the SPRC registry, which includes links to an in-depth program description (also in Acrobat format) and fact sheets.  
  

Substance-abuse agency would lose half of funds (Missouri) Story in The Missourian - "The Missouri Department of Mental Health opened its books to a Senate committee Monday amid protests against Gov. Matt Blunt’s proposed cuts. Department director Dorn Schuffman told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the division of alcohol and drug abuse would lose nearly half its funding to Blunt’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which total about $12 million..."  
  

County, mental health, law enforcement officials hopeful for mental health deputy grant (Texas) MyWestTexas story - "While awaiting word from the state, county and area mental health officials said Wednesday they are optimistic about the possibility of mental health deputies joining its law enforcement team. Midland-based Permian Basin Community Centers has submitted to Austin a grant proposal for mental health deputies to serve Midland and Ector counties. The center services the Permian Basin's mental health and mental retardation (MHMR) communities. The request arises from a need to have deputies who are trained to properly assess the needs of MHMR citizens. "  
  

County health center to cut staff, close Lincoln clinic (Montana) Helena News story - "A tight budget has forced Helena's Cooperative Health Center to cut nearly one-fourth of its staff, reduce services and raise fees. The CHC is primarily geared toward serving low-income and poor patients, but a change in patient mix has the nonprofit agency facing a $380,000 budget hole. Those with Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance tend to make up for those with no insurance, but those without insurance have steadily climbed to 65 percent of the patient load. That caused the shortfall. ... The CHC served about 6,000 patients, handling 19,000 visits last year. The one mental health counselor served 250 clients."  
  

SAMHSA announces new Voice Awards PR Newswire press release at Yahoo - "Nominations are now being accepted for the Voice Awards, a new award that honors entertainment industry writers and producers who create positive portrayals of people with mental illnesses. The awards are sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The goal of the new Voice Awards is to recognize writers and producers of entertainment programming -- television, radio and film -- who have given 'voice' to people with mental illnesses by incorporating dignified, respectful and accurate portrayals into their scripts, programs and productions." See also the Voice Awards web site.  
  

Mental health experts see crisis in treatment (Colorado) Vail Daily News story - "When people don't receive adequate treatment for substance abuse, depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health issues, their symptoms worsen, often causing them to end up in an emergency room or in jail, said Mike McCormick, division director of Colorado West Mental Health. Many people don't get treatment because they can't afford to, he said. 'Eventually taxpayers have to pay for these people one way or the other,' McCormick said. 'We could probably prevent them from going into more expensive services if the funding was better provided.' Admission to emergency rooms for mental health and substance abuse issues increased 83 percent in the past three years, said Don Myers of Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital in Denver. "