Monday, July 07, 2003

Housing opportunities are vital in coping with mental illness
Guest column in the Herald Tribune (Florida) by Christine Cauffield, CEO of Coastal Behavioral Healthcare Inc., "a nonprofit, community-based mental-health and substance-abuse provider" - "With the closure of G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital, a former state psychiatric hospital in DeSoto County, many new community services are being offered for individuals with mental illness, and existing services have been enhanced. The closure of G. Pierce Wood also increased housing needs for those with mental illness. Coastal Behavioral Healthcare recognized the need for adequate housing more than 10 years ago and has been offering housing opportunities for people with all levels of mental illness. But like many other providers, we know that the need remains great and we continue to work to secure affordable housing for those with mental illness."  
  

Fiscal Woes Imperil Treatment Program (Connecticut)
Hartford Courant story - "State officials are once again trying to close a 40-bed substance abuse treatment unit at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown because of budget constraints. The proposal is already generating some vocal opposition...."  
  

State hopes to save millions on unproven disability claims (Washington)
Story in The Olympian - "A small change in state regulations could mean big problems for mentally ill people who are temporarily unable to work because of their disease, mental health advocates and counselors say. The burden of proof for people receiving state assistance because they are temporarily disabled changed last week, shifting from the state to the recipient."  
  

Battle for mental health coverage parity long from being over (Michigan)
mLive.com story - "It's been a heady few months for supporters of a move to make Michigan insurers provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical problems. After five years of trying to get a full hearing before lawmakers, mental health advocates got not just one, but five opportunities to make their case before the Senate Health Policy Committee during May and June."  
  

Improved access: Mental health care worries ease (Nevada)
Las Vegas Review Journal story - "The state's approval of more than $30 million in funding for mobile mental health teams and a new psychiatric hospital in Southern Nevada will improve access to care and alleviate crowding in emergency rooms, medical officials said last week. But the windfall won't be enough to fully meet the growing need for mental health services in the area and still leaves Southern Nevada well below the national average when it comes to mental health resources, they said