Thursday, April 14, 2005

APA Applauds New California Regulations for Inpatient Psychological Services  APA press release - "California patients suffering from serious mental illness will now have the benefit of having their inpatient care managed by psychologists with full hospital privileges. New state regulations issued by the state’s Department of Health Services (DHS), recognizes California psychologists’ expertise in diagnosing and treating mental disorders which allows them to serve their patients in acute care hospitals as attending practitioners. The California agency’s new rules allow both psychologists and psychiatrists to direct patient care as a member of the hospital medical staff, including decisions on when to admit, transfer, and discharge patients. The new regulations are a result of longstanding efforts by organized psychology to enforce laws already on the books..."  
  

Bill would expand veterans health services Talahassie Democrat story - "Citing the large numbers of soldiers returning from Iraq with psychiatric disorders, lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday in the House of Representatives that would expand veterans' health services and study why veterans' mental-disability payments vary widely across the country. The bill follows a March report in Knight Ridder Newspapers that showed that the assessment - known as a 'rating' - that veterans receive for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health ailments is far higher in some regional offices than in others."  
  

Lilly name on health document Nashville City Paper story - "Mental health advocates widely circulated an e-mail opposing state drug cuts last month that appears to have been authored by a major pharmaceutical company lobbyist. A document from the Tennessee Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was handed out to other advocates and state lawmakers early last month as the group held it’s 'Day on Capitol Hill.' E-mails received by The City Paper showed under Microsoft Word applications that the 'author' of the document was Eli Lilly lobbyist Marlene L. Sanders. The pharmaceutical giant paid for the $10,000 event through a grant to the Mental Health Association of Tennessee. But company officials deny they had any input into the message conveyed on Capitol Hill that day."  
  

Mental health experts unsure of bill’s impact (Texas) Brownsville Herald story - "A proposed reorganization of the way the state pays for mental health services could result in a streamlined delivery system, but might make it harder for patients in the Rio Grande Valley to find care, mental health experts said. House Bill 470 directs the community Mental Health and Mental Retardation centers, including Tropical Texas in the Valley, to move toward a system of fee-for-service in which the state would pay private providers directly for their services. It also moves toward separating the provider services from the authority, or administrative services. Community centers like Tropical Texas now provide both..."  
  

Mental health act has big effect on county (California) Fairfield Daily Republic story - "Post-it notes filled with suggestions to transform Solano County mental health services clung to the walls of a meeting room in Fairfield's Holiday Inn on Wednesday. The session was one of many community meetings that mental health officials will hold between now and June to discuss the new Mental Health Services Act and the additional funding that accompanies it. 'This is an act that is a result of consumer power,' mental health director Fred Heacock said. 'In everything we do, we will consult with consumers and family members.' The first step toward transformation is putting people first and treating them like they matter, said Lovella Smith, a consumer, family member and member of the local Mental Health Board."