Thursday, March 24, 2005

A Shared State of Mind: Finding Common Solutions for Funding of Mental Health Services in Tennessee A report (in Adobe Acrobat format) from NAMI Tennessee and NAMI's Campaign for the Mind of America - "In response to the pressing challenges facing TennCare, NAMI Tennessee and NAMI’s Campaign for the Mind of America offer recommendations for cost-effective systems solutions to ensure services and supports for people living with mental illness in Tennessee. The economic cost of failing to provide adequate care and supports for people with mental illness is devastating for individuals, families, communities and the state’s economy. In a time of tough choices for Tennessee, this report offers economically sound recommendations for immediate solutions to protect services for the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Specific solutions are based upon research and the experiences of other states facing similar pressures to balance the budget while offering a system of care for individuals with mental illness..."  
  

Senate, House Could Be Willing To Compromise on Medicaid Cuts Item in the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - "Senate and House members might compromise on the extent of Medicaid cuts, though they are proposing "vastly different" fiscal year 2006 budget resolutions, CongressDaily reports. The Senate budget proposal includes no Medicaid reductions, and the House version includes up to $20 billion in cuts..."  
  

Massachusetts considers new rules regarding mental health patients Brief WSCH story - "The state is considering new rules that would reduce how and when psychiatric patients can be restrained. The new rules would require mental health facilities to train staff to intervene before a patients' behavior becomes dangerous. But the proposals would allow patients to be restrained or secluded only in emergencies..."