Wednesday, February 25, 2004
NMHA Awards Honor Outstanding Efforts in Mental Health Movement Fenruary 5 National Mental Health Association press release - "The National Mental Health Association invites nominations for several awards recognizing outstanding individual and organizational contributions to the mental health movement. ... The deadline for award nominations is March 10, 2004. Recipients will be honored during NMHA’s Annual Conference, June 9-12, 2004 in Washington, D.C." Further information and application forms are
available at the NMHA web site.
SAMHSA extends deadlines for network NOFAsSAMHSA press release - "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), for Fiscal Year 2004, published four Standard Grant announcements, which established mandatory formatting requirements for all applications that would be processed in accordance with the terms of those standing announcements. The Standard Grant announcements did not directly solicit any applications. Rather, they are to be used in conjunction with Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs), which solicit applications for specific opportunities pursuant to the Standard Announcements. Upon further consideration, SAMHSA believes the formatting requirements common to those announcements, and motivated by SAMHSA’s desire to assure equitable opportunity and a "level playing field" to all applicants, will not best serve the public until we revise and republish them. Accordingly, we will quickly revise the identical formatting discussions of all four standing grant program announcements and republish them in their entirety for ease of the users." The immediately effected announcements are SM 04-003: Statewide Consumer Network Grants, and SM 04-004: Statewide Family Network Grants.
Bill tackles disparity in health insurance (Washington)Seattle Times story - "... In Washington, as in 16 other states, it's legal for health insurers to limit treatments and require higher co-payments and out-of-pocket expenses for mental-health care than for other types of medical coverage. For the seventh consecutive year, a bill that would eliminate the insurance disparity is pending in Olympia. The House passed the bill Feb. 13 on a 64-33 vote. But unless the bill gets a hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Monday, the legislation will die once again..."
Agency to use technology in effort to help mentally ill (Illinois)Chicago Sun-Times story - "A Chicago-based mental health agency wants to break new ground by using computer technology to help the mentally ill lead richer lives. Trilogy, a 30-year fixture in Rogers Park and Evanston, will use innovative software to try to help people with severe mental illnesses with memory, concentration and social skill problems that can result from their illnesses.."
Family Services report work overload (Minnesota)Mankato Free Press story - "Family Services Department staffers told the Brown County Board of Commissioners Tuesday that the department has too much work and too few employees since several positions were cut in 2003. Across-the-board budget cuts, resulting from a 39 percent decrease in county property tax aid this year, resulted in the loss of five employees to the department..."
Legislature passes mental health bill for children (Missouri)AP story at the
Kansas City Star - "Legislation allowing parents to retain custody of children who receive mental health care from the state cleared the House on Tuesday and went to Gov. Bob Holden. The bill, passed without House dissent, is intended to help parents who lack the money or insurance to provide long-term mental health care for their chlidren..."
