Friday, July 30, 2004

New Study Shows Approximately 4 Million Living with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
SAMHSA press release - "Adults with a substance use disorder in 2002 were almost three times as likely to have serious mental illness (20.4 percent) as those who did not have a substance use disorder (7.0 percent), according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The rate of serious mental illness was 19.0 percent among those with alcohol dependence or abuse, 29.1 percent among those with illicit drug dependence or abuse, and highest among adults who had both drug and alcohol dependence or abuse (30.1 percent)..." See also the report, Serious Mental Illness and Its Co-Occurrence with Substance Use Disorders, 2002.  
  

Officials agree early intervention works best (New York)
Story in the Independent - "Since October of last year, County Probation Department Director Michael Benvenuto, Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman and Mental Health Director Michael O'Leary and their staffs have looked for a way to stem the rising tide of out-of-home residential placements of county youth. Last week, the three administrators informed committees of the county Board of Supervisors that rather than reinvent the wheel they would turn to a program already up and running in Orange County..."  
  

Mental Health Services taking on new roles under North Carolina reforms
Column by the Catawba County public information officer in the Charlotte Observer - "Mental Health Services of Catawba County is now considered a local managing entity, the link to services for consumers and family members dealing with mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance abuse. Mental Health Services will remain the main resource and contact point for accessing services and for community education. It will manage all the funds for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services through purchasing and monitoring services. A key role that will remain is the establishment of local policies concerning the delivery of services, ensuring that the ideas of the local community are implemented. In addition, Mental Health Services will be charged with the responsibility of developing new initiatives to better meet the needs of Catawba County citizens..."  
  

Mental health grads rejoice (Ohio)
Cincinnati Enquirer story - "Nearly a year ago, some offenders got the first opportunity to be supervised by Hamilton County's new mental health court instead of going to jail. Although some participants initially had doubts about their possibilities of success, three people who became the court's first graduates Thursday say they have turned their lives around..."