Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Bill slashes Medicaid mental health funds (Texas)
Story in The Monitor - "A bill passed June 10 cuts counseling services from Medicaid recipients, including services from licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, social workers and licensed professional counselors. Medicaid recipients will only be able to see psychiatrists."  
  

Budget cuts blamed again for jail stays (South Carolina)
Story in The State - "Budget cuts - not administrative mistakes - were the primary cause of lengthy jail stays last year for mentally ill inmates waiting for state hospital beds, the state mental health agency's director said Tuesday. George Gintoli backed away from comments he made in news reports Sunday that 70 patients had not been processed properly by the agency's Forensic Review Board. He said Tuesday those delays were caused by deep budget cuts that affected the entire staff."  
  

Mental heath breakdown: spiraling downward on the streets
Post and Courier (South Carolina) story reprinted at the NAMI web site on the increasing number of the mentally ill who have nowhere to go for help.