Wednesday, April 06, 2005

New Report on Washington Mental Health Crisis PR Newswire story at Yahoo - "The Washington chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and partners from medical, law enforcement, education and other communities have released a new report on the state's budget crisis and mental healthcare needs, while launching a statewide campaign to address the costs of untreated mental illness..." See also the full report, Can Crisis Beget Opportunity? Washington State's Response to the Mental Health Funding Quandary (Adobe Acrobat), and other, related resources at the NAMI web site.  
  

Obituary: Mental Health Advocate Jay B. Cutler Washington Post obituary - "Jay B. Cutler, 74, whose advocacy over 30 years helped secure better treatment for people suffering from mental illness and substance abuse, died of lung cancer March 4 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Mr. Cutler is credited with reducing the stigma appended to mental illness and helping people receive better care. Early in his career as a Senate aide, he helped change the perception of national policymakers towards alcoholism and the effects of alcohol abuse. Working with then-Sens. Jacob Javits and Harold Hughes, he played a pivotal role in the drafting and passage of the landmark Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970, which established the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism." [Viewing Washington Post stories requires registration, which is free.]