Tuesday, March 02, 2004

Mental health services for veterans...
Transcript of an NPR feature, reprinted at the NAMI web site, which notes that "The number of veterans who need psychiatric treatment has increased, but spending on mental health care for them has dropped almost 30 percent."  
  

238 Atlanta Deaths Due to Drug Abuse in 2002, Feds Say
A SAMHSA press release at Yahoo focusing on data for Atlanta from the new report, Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2002, which tracks deaths associated with drug abuse in a number of cities. You can search at Yahoo for similar summaries for other cities. See also, at the DAWN web site, the page indexing the full report by section (in Adobe Acrobat format).  
  

Advocates for Mentally Ill: Train Police (Pennsylvania)
AP story at PhillyBurbs.com on a fatal Feb. 19 shooting - "the third time in six months that Philadelphia police have used deadly force to subdue an unruly person in need of psychiatric help. Advocates for the mentally ill said the shootings, and similar fatal encounters around the country, demonstrate that officers need better training to deal with people who are emotionally disturbed."  
  

Substance Use, Abuse, and Dependence Among Youth Who Have Been in a Jail or a Detention Center
A SAMHSA report released last week (February 27) which concluded that "Youths who had been in a jail or a detention center at least once in their lifetime were more likely than all other youths to have past year alcohol or any illicit drug abuse or dependence." The link above leads to a page that indexes the report in web (HTML) and Adobe Acrobat format, as well as links to related agency materials and reports.  
  

Action at last/Hope for mental health care (Minnesota)
Editorial in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune - "...the Citizens League of Minnesota and the state Department of Human Services have joined together in a most unusual venture: They've convened the Minnesota Mental Health Action Group -- a small throng of experts resolved to leap beyond lamentation toward a vision of what the state's mental-health system should become. Cochaired by Gary Cunningham, the league's former board chairman, and Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno, the group released its first report last week. Its details are compelling, but what's most heartening about the report is that it's just the first of many. Minnesota's mental-health network has been in a snarl for many a decade; tugging it toward rationality will take considerable time and ingenuity..." See also the progress report released last week (MS Word format), the February 12 MHAG press release (Adobe Acrobat format) and the report released the same day, Action Steps (also in Adobe Acrobat format).  
  

Carteret reviews mental health plan (North Carolina)
Daily News story - "The head of the agency now providing mental health services to Carteret County said the county would be better served by keeping things the way they are. A special task force is currently reviewing information from various area agencies to see which might best administer services. Neuse Center for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services is the county's longtime provider and Director Roy Wilson said he doesn't see a better alternative..."  
  

Lawyer alleges stealth lobbying by group (West Virginia)
Charleston Gazette story - " Employees of a government-funded mental health organization lobbied state lawmakers last week and were told not to reveal who they worked for, according to a complaint filed Friday with the secretary of state’s office. West Virginia Mental Health Consumers Association staff members called legislators to oppose the bill, according to the complaint by Morgantown lawyer Bill Byrne. They were directed to do so by the nonprofit organization’s interim director, Lorie Roberts, Byrne alleges. Several phone calls to Roberts were not returned. The bill (SB315) would create a pilot project in a few counties for outpatient commitment. Judges could order people with a history of mental illness to take medication, and if they didn’t comply, they could be taken to a mental hospital for evaluation and treatment."