Friday, June 17, 2005

Gov. Blagojevich signs legislation expanding mental health services for children in state care (Illinois) Illinois Governor's Office press release - "Gov. Rod. R. Blagojevich signed legislation today that puts Illinois on the cutting edge of addressing the mental health needs of children in state care and reflects an ongoing commitment to improving services for children. 'The children who come into state custody have been through incredible trauma - from the neglect or abuse that led up to DCFS intervention, to the anxiety and stress of being separated from their families. It’s imperative that our efforts to help these kids includes a comprehensive mental health component,' said Gov. Blagojevich. 'With this law, Illinois is taking an unprecedented step to meet the needs of children in our care - a step that I hope other states will follow. Our investment in these young people’s health and development now will pay off ten-fold as they grow up and become stable, productive adults.'"  
  

City Web site on mental health, addiction issues to launch today (Philadelphia) Philadelphia Inquirer story - "Philadelphia mental health officials plan to launch an ambitious new Web site today that will allow patients and their relatives to search for treatment options, learn about legislation that could affect them and create their own private medical Web page. The $60,000 city-funded initiative - http://www.philly.networkofcare.org - attempts to centralize the overwhelming amount of information available on the Internet about mental health, addiction and mental retardation, said Dr. Arthur Evans, director of the city's Office of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services. Evans said the free site, covering services from in-patient hospital care to self-help support groups, is intended for both patients and providers of mental-health services."  
  

Mental health center meets special housing needs (Indiana) Journal-Press story on the Community Mental Health Center in Lawrenceburg - "CMHC is one of the organizations that provides housing assistance to people with special needs in Dearborn County. Heart House, a homeless shelter in Aurora, and the YES Home, Manchester, an emergency and long-term residential facility serving abused, abandoned and neglected children, are other organizations meeting special housing needs in the county. CMHC housing services focuses on providing transitional and permanent housing for people with serious mental illness, said Bill Hardy, director of community support services. Transitional and permanent housing options are available to give people with mental illness a choice other than hospitals or institutions, group homes or homeless shelters, said Hardy..."  
  

Mental Health to open 26 new long-term beds (South Carolina) Story at The State - "The state Mental Health Department plans to open 26 new long-term, psychiatric-care hospital beds in Columbia and Spartanburg. The new beds are intended to relieve backlogs of mentally ill patients now being treated in hospital emergency rooms. The department’s critics say 40 to 60 long-term-care beds are needed to address shortages created by years of downsizing. Some also say the department should be focusing on opening acute-care beds for patients needing emergency — not long-term — help." See also Mental hospital eyed for children at the same source.