Tuesday, July 12, 2005

SAMHSA Awards $3.4 Million to Vermont to Treat Persons With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders SAMHSA press release - "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced a grant award totaling $3.4 million over five years to the state of Vermont to increase the capacity of state treatment systems to provide effective, comprehensive, integrated and evidence-based treatment services to persons with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders. SAMHSA is awarding the grant to Vermont to stimulate the state to provide accessible, coordinated treatment to persons who have at least one mental disorder as well as an alcohol or drug use disorder. These grants are part of the State Incentive Grant for Treatment of Persons with Co-Occurring Related and Mental Disorders (COSIG) program. Vermont will receive $1,041,267 for the first year." See also SAMHSA Awards $3.48 Million to Maine to Treat Persons With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders.  
  

Postpartum treatment key for depression University of Toronto press release at EurekAlert - "The key to preventing postpartum depression may be individual support provided after birth by a health professional and tailored to a mother's needs, says a University of Toronto researcher. 'Health professionals want to identify pregnant women who may be at risk for postpartum depression in hopes of initiating preventive strategies,' says U of T nursing professor Cindy-Lee Dennis. 'But in my review of studies from around the world, I found no preventive effect of any strategy initiated before birth, including prenatal classes specifically targeting postpartum depression. It's not because the interventions are theoretically weak, but it's because compliance is low – women are busy and don't attend the classes.' "  
  

Child Insurance Program May Face Crunch   Las Vegas Sun story - "A government program that provides health insurance for poor children could run into money problems in several states over the next two years unless Congress acts. Six to 14 states will use up their share of federal money for the State Children's Health Insurance Program during the 2006 budget year, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. By the next year, that number will range from 12 to 20 states. The range occurs because analysts looked at two scenarios. One projected low demand for the program; the second factored in high demand..."  
  

Federal Medicaid Commission Named; Former Tennessee Governor To Lead Panel Item in the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - "HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday announced 13 voting members and 15 nonvoting members of a federal Medicaid commission that will be charged with recommending short- and long-term reforms to the program... The committee, created as a result of negotiations over the fiscal year 2006 federal budget, will be required to submit two reports. The first, which must be submitted by Sept. 1, will include recommendations on how to reduce Medicaid spending growth by $10 billion over the next five years. The second report, due Dec. 31, 2006, will include recommendations for stabilizing Medicaid over the long term..."