Friday, January 14, 2005

Economic Grand Rounds: Financing the Care of Individuals With Serious Mental Illness   An October 2004 report published in Psychiatric Services - "A crisis in funding psychiatric services looms over practice and service systems, with a growing body of evidence showing that a systematic defunding of mental health care has occurred over the past several years. The economic downturn that began in 2000 accelerated this decline as states, which are a principal source of funding for the care of individuals with severe mental illness, experienced enormous budget deficits. One study found that when budgets are adjusted for inflation, states spend less on mental health care now than they did in 1955. In response to annual and substantial increases in states' Medicaid costs, states are moving to restrict eligibility and benefit packages and are freezing reimbursement rates to providers. The funding for mental health care that is received by seriously ill individuals comes from a complex and seemingly impenetrable array of sources with confusing eligibility rules and particular benefit packages. In an effort to make this critical topic more easily understood, this column provides an overview of the fiscal landscape and identifies the problems in funding mental health care for individuals with serious mental illness. The column concludes by highlighting the implications of such a system and the reasons for action and advocacy." The report is also available in Adobe Acrobat format. See also related stories at Psychiatric News, Roadmap Points Way to Reform In Public MH Care Financing and System Riddled With Obstacles  
  

Mental Health Institutes Get Modest Funding Increase   Psychiatric News story - "The National Institutes of Health faces another year of low budget increases from Congress, which President Bush endorsed last month. Faced with record-breaking federal budget deficits, Congress has tightened discretionary (nonentitlement) spending on domestic programs in Fiscal 2005, which began last October. The budgets of 13 domestic departments including Health and Human Services (HHS) were rolled into one omnibus spending measure by Congress."  
  

$20.6 Million Available for Substance Abuse, HIV and Hepatitis Prevention Programs for Minority Populations SAMHSA press release - "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced the availability of FY 2005 funds for cooperative agreements to help prevent the onset of substance abuse, and the transmission of HIV and hepatitis, among minority populations in communities with a high prevalence of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis. It is expected that approximately $20.6 million will be available to fund approximately 59-82 cooperative agreements to support the implementation of minority substance abuse, HIV and hepatitis strategic prevention framework projects that build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective substance abuse prevention and related services. The average annual award amount will range from $250,000-$350,000 per year for up to five years..."  
  

Connecticut Mental Health Cabinet Report  December 2004 report (in Adobe Acrobat format) of the lieutenant governor's cabinet report - "The recommendations of the Lieutenant Governor.s Mental Health Cabinet build on the Governor.s Blue Ribbon Commission Report on Mental Health, Delivering and Financing Children.s Behavioral Health Services Report, and the planning and initiatives of the Community Mental Health Strategy Board and its first initiatives. T hese recommendations directly address the reality that so many who face mental health challenges in our state remain inappropriately institutionalized, underserved or unserved as well as all those who can better be helped before they experience greater disability. When implemented as a whole, these recommendations would turn less effective institutional spending into more effective community support, treatment, and recovery. Consequently, Connecticut.s mental health spending would shift away from fragmented, ineffective approaches that disrupt families, promote unnecessary institutionalization, fuel homelessness and do not sustain recovery." This report was brought to our attention by OpenMinds.  
  

Mental Health Department Touts Success Of Innovative Program (Missouri)  Brief MissouriNet.com story - "The State Mental Health Department is touting the success of a program that improves services to those with mental illnesses, while saving Medicaid dollars. The Missouri Mental Health Medicaid Pharmacy Partnership Program evaluates Medicaid mental health prescribing practices. Doctor Joseph Parks, Medical Director of the State Mental Health Department, says the focus is only on certain Medicaid patients - those receiving multiple prescriptions from multiple physicians.." The page also includes a link to a 60-second MP3 audio broadcast.  
  

Mental Health Drug Use Increasing Rapidly  WebMD story - "More Americans than ever are being treated for substance abuse, depression, and other mental health disorders, but the treatment they are getting is increasingly limited to prescription drugs alone. That is the finding from a government study that assessed changing patterns in the treatment of mental illnesses from the mid-1990s to 2001. While the number of people receiving other types of treatment, such as psychotherapy or behavioral therapy, remained the same during the five-year evaluation period, prescription drug use increased rapidly."  
  

Teddy bear prompts protest  AP story at the Boston Globe - "The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. plans to continue selling its "Crazy for You Bear" through Valentine's Day, despite protests from mental health advocates.\ The bear, wrapped in a white straitjacket with a red heart on the front, comes with commitment papers and is meant to convey out-of-control love, the company says. ... Mental health advocates consider the bear 'a tasteless use of marketing that stigmatizes persons with mental illness,' Jerry Goessel, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, wrote to the Shelburne-based company." See also Vermont Teddy Bear stands firm Governor says he's opposed to 'crazy' bear (Barre Montpelier Times-Argus).