Wednesday, July 16, 2003

NAMI is grateful to Senator Collins (R-ME) for her leadership in addressing the tragedy of custody relinquishment
At the NAMI web site - "The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs -- chaired by Senator Collins (R-ME) -- is holding two days of hearings on July 15 and 17 to address custody relinquishment – the national tragedy of states forcing families to turn custody of their child over to the state to secure mental health services. NAMI applauds Senator Collins for her leadership on this issue that has long been of great concern to NAMI. Senator Collins is not new to this issue; she joined Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Pete Stark (D-CA), in requesting that the General Accounting Office (GAO) investigate and report on this unthinkable practice."  
  

Problem Drinking Is Rarely Discussed During Medical Visits, More So During Psychiatric Visits
Story at InteliHealth based on research published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research which found that "despite heavy use of medical and mental-health services by problem and dependent drinkers, doctors and mental-health professionals often do not address alcohol consumption during visits."  
  

Individual Treatment Gains Favor
Washington Post story on Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, a program developed 20 years ago by Patricia Chamberlain, which is now spreading nationwide to 15 cities that have adopted her model for juveniles, many with the assistance of federal grants. The story focuses on Central Virginia Community Services, a government-chartered mental health agency in Lynchburg, and the application of the core principles of Chamberlain's program: instead of sending teens to group homes and residential treatment centers, "the 54-year-old clinical psychologist came up with a novel idea: Separate the children, put them with highly trained foster families and closely monitor them."  
  

Teens cut their bodies as way to cope
Story at CentreDaily.com (Ohio) - "Doctors and mental health experts are seeing a troubling rise in the number of teenagers who deliberately cut themselves to relieve emotional pain. It's difficult to determine how many teens cut, they say, because the behavior is hidden and a symptom of a mental health problem, rather than an independent diagnosis. But they agree that the practice has been increasing in the past few years."  
  

Some fear mental facility closings (Alabama)
Birmingham News story on plans by the state Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation to close J.S. Tarwater Developmental Center and other places like it, "citing patient populations that have declined to the dozens while institution budgets remain in the millions."