Friday, October 03, 2003
NAMI Supports "Keeping Families Together"Act NAMI press release - "NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, supports legislation being introduced today by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Pete Stark (D-CA). The legislation addresses a scandal that has lingered too long in states throughout the nation—in which parents have been forced to give up custody of tens of thousands of children and adolescents with mental illnesses in order to secure necessary treatment. ..."
HHS Announces $7.7 Million to Help People Enter, Stay, In Substance Abuse Treatment SAMHSA press release - "Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 13 cooperative agreements totaling $7.7 million over 3 years to improve client access to substance abuse treatment and retention in treatment. The awards are designed to help implement effective clinical and administrative practices that will encourage people to seek addiction treatment and remain in the full course of treatment."
Nearly Half of People Receiving Addiction Treatment Were Involved in Both Drug and Alcohol Abuse
SAMHSA press release - "Nearly half of all 1.1 million people receiving treatment for drug or alcohol addiction were in treatment for both drug and alcohol abuse according to the 2002 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services released today by HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ... 'This survey tells us where the substance abuse treatment system is going, to help us analyze system trends and forecast resource requirements,' said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie. 'At SAMHSA, building treatment capacity is a top priority. We are hopeful that the President’s Access to Recovery program will be funded to allow an additional 100,000 people to enter treatment and rebuild their lives.' ”
HHS awards $11.7 million to states to develop strategies to improve access to health insurance October 1 HHS press release - "HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced $11.7 million in grants to support projects in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands to develop plans to provide affordable health insurance for uninsured residents. ... Grantees first conduct studies to identify uninsured residents and the reasons why they are uninsured. Then states use this information to determine the most effective ways to provide high-quality, affordable health insurance, using plans offered to government employees or other benchmark health plans as a model."
State restores Medicaid coverage (Massachusetts)
Story in the
Boston Globe - " Massachusetts will begin restoring health insurance to thousands of low-income residents who lost it five months ago, but the state's retooled Medicaid program for the long-term unemployed will target a poorer population and includes an enrollment cap that will shut out some qualified applicants for the first time. MassHealth Essential, which the state will launch today, will cover 36,000 adults who make $9,000 or less annually. Many of them were kicked off the rolls of another Medicaid program, MassHealth Basic, when the Legislature scaled it back last year to save money."
Staff decry survey on Human Services reorganization plan (Vermont) Brattleboro Reformer story - "As the Vermont Agency of Human Services attempts an extensive reorganization, employees and providers expressed concern Thursday over the data the agency has used. Approximately 70 representatives of social agencies in Windham County attended a four-hour informational session at the American Legion, hosted by the agency as it determines how to streamline its services. ... The survey at the center of the controversy outlined five perceived problems with the agency, and asked employees, providers, consumers and others involved with the agency to agree or disagree with various statements and rank the seriousness of the problem."
