Monday, March 22, 2004
Ruling leads lawmakers to reassess counselors (Missouri)St. Louis Post Dispatch story on a case from St. Francois County that "has opened a legislative battle over who's qualified to spot the signs of mental health conditions such as the trauma that often accompanies abuse. Those diagnoses are often critical as prosecutors attempt to piece together details on child abuse incidents that often have no witnesses and limited physical evidence."
More children diagnosed with clinical depression (Pennsylvania)Lancaster Eagle-Gazette story - "Today's teens are experiencing more pressures and are placed in adult situations more often than their parents and grandparents. As a result, more youth are sidelined from normal activities due to feelings of sadness and depression. There are also many youths who have considered or attempted suicide. According to the National Mental Health Association, more than 1 million American children take prescription drugs for major depression, anxiety or attention-deficit disorders. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that in 2002, doctors wrote about 11 million antidepressant prescriptions for children. Close to 2.7 million of those prescriptions were for children age 11 and younger. Clinicians in Fairfield County said, while youth depression and suicide is an issue, they place a higher focus on prevention." See also, at the same source,
Antidepressant use growing, even among young children.
Cuts put aid for mentally ill at risk (New York)Buffalo News story on the impact of Gov. George E. Pataki's proposed budget, in which services "....deemed non-essential by budget officials would be wiped out with the elimination of $7.7 million from the mental health budget for community-based services. Those in the budget cross hairs include the Peer Connection in Buffalo, whose staff of 12 provides services that range from helping patients find housing and develop work skills to ensuring severely ill people stay on their medicine. The group receives about $330,000 from the state. Unlike other mental health care groups, Peer Connection employs people who have suffered from mental illness, providing clients with someone to whom they can relate."
Democrats, Advocates Decry Killing Of Mental Health Plan (Florida)News4Georgia story - "Democrats and advocates for the mentally ill Friday called the killing of a mental health bill one of the lowest moments in Senate history. The plan was sponsored by Rep. Rene Kemp, of Hinesville. It would have made it easier for people on Medicaid with mental health needs to receive the correct drugs. Republican majority leaders abruptly adjourned Wednesday, shortly before they were scheduled to consider the plan. That was the day bills had to pass at least one legislative chamber or die..."
Mental health reform brings worries (North Carolina)Citizen Times story - "After years of wrangling, North Carolina this month stopped being the primary provider of public health services for people with mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse issues. People can no longer go to places such as Blue Ridge Mental Health Center or Trend to get treatment. Those places either spun off into nonprofit health providers or morphed into one local agency, the Western Highlands Local Management Entity. The new agency manages a network of private mental health care providers, much like an HMO. This move reflects a national shift away from putting people in state institutions and toward serving them in their own communities. It also addresses concerns about a disparity of services, which differed from county to county..."
Millionaires would pay new levy to fund mental health services (California)SF Gate story - "An initiative designed to pay for mental health services in California by raising taxes on the state's wealthiest citizens is headed for the November ballot after supporters turned in nearly double the required signatures Friday. The initiative would pay for a broad range of mental health services for children and adults, including prevention, treatment and long-term management. Many of the mentally ill are homeless, and supporters believe the program will save the state millions in the long run because it will reduce the number of people sent to hospitals or prisons. The program would be financed with a new 1 percent tax on an individual's gross income over $1 million, which would generate an estimated $600 million a year."
Community Mental Health ClubhouseNews14 (North Carolina) story - "Community-based clubhouses take a unique approach to helping people with mental illness re-enter society. One renowned rehabilitation center is the model for more than 400-clubhouses worldwide. For more than 50 years, Fountain House in New York City has been a haven for people with serious long-term mental illness, a place where clients, known as members, get help to rebuild their lives...."
Better mental health training for officers in the works (Indiana)Northwest Indiana Times story - "Indiana has no mandated mental illness training for officers, but the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield is revamping its curriculum to teach recruits how to recognize the symptoms of mental illnesses and how to best respond. Academy and state mental health officials are taking the 25-hour behavioral health curriculum and pulling out sections to create a two-hour course dealing specifically with mental illnesses, said Cindy Collier, director of policy, planning and communication for the Family and Social Services Administration, "
