Monday, April 26, 2004
Top U.S. Physicians, Lawyers Tackle National Drug PolicyA "newsmaker interview" at
Medscape Medical News with David C. Lewis, MD, a professor at Brown University and a member of the board of directors of a nonpartisan organization, Physicians and Lawyers for National Drug Policy formed "to advocate for a public health approach to federal and state substance abuse policies." The introduction to the interview notes, " Since its inception in 1997, the group has believed that drug and alcohol policies must be based on evidence rather than on politics, that prevention and treatment are more cost-effective than incarceration, and that substance abuse should be afforded equal footing with other chronic, relapsing conditions in terms of access to care and insurance coverage. The revised and expanded group, now incorporating members from the legal profession, met on April 20 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to discuss these and other issues, including the need for widespread alcohol screening in trauma centers and emergency rooms." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Mental hospital to grow (North Carolina)Story in
The Daily News (Jacksonville) - "Jacksonville's Brynn Marr Hospital is adding a $1 million, 9,000-square-foot addition to get a jump start on the state's Mental Health Reform Plan, which calls for the privatization of all psychiatric treatment by 2007. ... In 2003, patients from more than 35 North Carolina counties were sent to Brynn Marr Hospital."
U.S. Finds Fault With Child Welfare Programs in All 50 States New York Times feature story - "Federal investigators have found widespread problems in child welfare programs intended to protect children from abuse and neglect, and no state has received passing grades from the Bush administration in reviews conducted over the last three years. As a result, states face tens of millions of dollars in penalties. State officials said the penalties could make it more difficult for them to pay for the needed improvements. ... Federal officials repeatedly cited states for certain deficiencies: significant numbers of children suffering abuse or neglect more than once in a six-month period; caseworkers not visiting children often enough to assess their needs; and not providing promised medical and mental health services." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Lincoln mental health center will be largest in the state (Nebraska)Omaha World-Herald story - "When it opens here next month, a new $25 million hospital-based mental health center will be the largest in Nebraska. And, hospital officials add, it'll be right next to one of the area's biggest emergency departments. Part of a five-year, $140 million expansion and renovation at BryanLGH Medical Center West, the new mental health center features 77 acute-care beds and specialized services for children, teens, adults and senior citizens with mental illnesses..."
Mental health system strained (Michigan)Story in the
Jackson Citizen Patriot - "The state's mental health system has increasingly come under fire for not providing the supports necessary for the state's growing population of mentally ill people. ... Among the challenges faced by the mentally ill are a lack of affordable housing, access to health care and access to transportation..."
Proposed change in funding frightens mental health providers (Illinois)Story in
The Telegraph - "The state of Illinois wants to change the way it distributes funds to mental health care agencies to take advantage of more federal Medicaid reimbursements, but officials with those provider agencies fear the changes could force them to cut staff and services to their clients. Under a plan first outlined in February under Gov. Rod Blagojevichs budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, the Illinois Department of Human Services would stop issuing lump-sum grants to mental health care providers. Under the current system, those grants are divided into monthly allotments, and the agencies later reconcile their expenses with the state."
Mentally Ill: Caught in revolving doors of justice (Utah)Story in the
Salt Lake Tribune, focusing on one person's experience with the state's mental health and criminal justice systems - a person whose experiences are "unremarkable, which makes her all the more notable to critics who say the nation's mental health system is crumbling. Advocates for the mentally ill point to federal and state budget cuts that have made it increasingly difficult for public agencies to deal with people ... who have a mental illness but aren't thought to be an extreme danger to themselves or others."
