Monday, January 05, 2004

Senators scrutinize mental health plan (Nebraska)
Fremont Tribune story - "Gov. Mike Johanns has some work to do if he plans to get his sweeping overhaul of the state's mental health system through the Legislature. In an Associated Press pre-session survey of Nebraska's 49 lawmakers, less than half said they supported the idea of closing state mental hospitals in Norfolk and Hastings and bolstering community based treatment programs. Eight senators said they supported the idea, while 15 said they were leaning that way. Five lawmakers were against the plan and eight said they were leaning that way. Thirteen lawmakers did not answer the questions..."  
  

Law to help mentally ill is in limbo (California)
San Francisco Gate story on Laura's Law, "....a state statute that gives counties the power to force the most severely mentally ill into outpatient treatment. But a year after the Legislature passed Laura's Law, even its name is controversial. Critics say naming the measure after Laura Wilcox was intended to gain sympathy for what is one of the most volatile topics in the mental health world -- forced treatment. ... So far, only one county, Los Angeles, has implemented even a tiny pilot program under the law, which allows forced outpatient treatment after a court hearing for people who are severely mentally ill and have refused voluntary services. The program there, under scrutiny so intense that the head of the agency running it says she has "an advisory board watching our advisory board," has not even filled its maximum of 35 slots. ..."