Mental Health Weekly articles from December 2007

Mental Health Weekly archives from December 2007

Controversial ad campaign highlighting children's mental health issues halted.
December 24, 2007... A new public service campaign aimed at raising awareness of children's psychiatric and neurological disorders sparked a strong reaction from local and national disability rights organizations and mental health groups, prompting campaign...

Three centers join forces to become largest provider of BH services.(Behavioral Health )
December 24, 2007... Three nonprofit organizations, recognized leaders in behavioral health care, have announced this month their intention to merge to address consumer's treatment needs for mental health and substance abuse issues in a move that officials say...

As expected, California advocates sue over homeless services cut: challange seeks restoration of model program.
December 24, 2007... Unable to win a reconsideration of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's August veto of a $55 million appropriation for the Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness Program, several advocacy groups and...

Mental health field disappointed with fiscal 2008 spending bill.
December 24, 2007... Mental health advocates have expressed disappointment over the appropriations activity in Congress last week on the fiscal 2008 spending bill, which resulted in less funding for key mental health programs and research. House lawmakers...

Preview Issue coming soon--we want to hear from you.
December 24, 2007... The 2008 Preview Issue for Mental Health Weekly will be published Jan. 7, 2008. This special issue will feature our annual look at the topics most likely to affect the field in the coming year. As in previous years, we'd like to hear from...

Worker mental health stress affecting business results in Canada.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
December 24, 2007... Mental health issues and increasing stress levels are not being addressed by Canadian employers, despite their profound impact on workplace productivity and business performance, according to research by Watson Wyatt, a leading global...

Congress passes gun bill prompted by Virginia Tech shootings.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
December 24, 2007... Congress last week passed a bill prompted by the Virginia Tech shootings earlier this year that would more easily flag prospective gun buyers who have documented mental health problems, the Associated Press reported. The measure would clarify...

Va. Governor proposes additional funding for state's MH system.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... Gov. Timothy M. Kaine this month proposed remedies for failings in the state's mental health system that were exposed by the Virginia Tech tragedy, including making it easier to force treatment and opening communication between care providers...

Oregon Medicaid program integrates medical BH improvement projects.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... Acumentra Health, a nonprofit organization, under contract with the Oregon Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance Programs, will help the state facilitate efforts to integrate the delivery of medical, mental health,...

Colo. agency expands Children's Mental Health services.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing state agency that administers a child health-insurance program last week said it will expand mental-health benefits beginning Jan. 1, the Denver Post reported. The department will...

Netsmart Technologies DVDs feature case studies for BH organizations.(RESOURCES)
December 24, 2007... Netsmart Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise-wide software and services for health and human services organizations, last week announced the availability of four video case studies featuring idea sharing and insight from four...

Bruce Vladeck.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... Bruce Vladeck, who served as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under former President Bill Clinton, has been elected president of the board of directors of the Medicare Rights Centers, the nation's largest...

Christine Cauffield.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... Christine Cauffield, Ph.D., president of the Denver-based Aspire Behavioral Health, Inc., has been named co-chair of the Florida Coalition for Optimal Mental Health & Aging (FCOMHA), a volunteer organization that works to improve the...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
December 24, 2007... The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI) is holding its 18th Annual State Mental Health Agency Services Research, Program Evaluation and Policy Conference on February 11-13, 2008 in Arlington,...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
December 24, 2007... The United States Army for the first time in history plans to deploy physical therapy dogs to Iraq to help relieve combat stress of soldiers in the field. Two black Labrador Retrievers, provided by America's VetDogs, will work with a...

Disability advocates, city of San Francisco reach accord on nursing facility stays: plan could be model for independent living.
December 17, 2007... A long legal battle over the city of San Francisco's practice of housing residents with disabilities, including serious mental illness, at a 1,000-bed nursing facility could be ending with a plan that city officials say would put the city at...

National study finds children displaced in Katrina aftermath face MH crises.
December 17, 2007... Between 46,000 and 64,000 children remain at-risk for long-term health and social problems, including mental health issues, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the flooding of New Orleans displaced tens of thousands of families in the Gulf...

Stigma a major concern for Latinos taking antidepressants.
December 17, 2007... The perception of stigma among Latinos receiving antidepressants often implies among this population a more severe illness, weakness or failure to cope with problems, according to a new study appearing in the December issue of Psychiatric...

SAMHSA awards states funds for transformation of MH systems.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(mental health )
December 17, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last week announced the selection of Transformation Transfer Initiative program funding awards to 10 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The states selected...

Preview issue coming soon--we want to hear from you.
December 17, 2007... The 2008 Preview Issue for Mental Health Weekly will be published Jan. 7, 2008. This special issue will feature our annual look at the topics most likely to affect the field in the coming year. As in previous years, we'd like to hear from...

Experts testify at VA hearing on suicide prevention.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Veterans)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... The House Veterans' Affairs Committee Wednesday heard from VA doctors, mental health experts and parents as it examined the high rate of suicide among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, reported News Feed Researcher. The panel heard from...

Bush vetoes SCHIP legislation a second time.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(StateChildren's Health Insurance Program)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... President Bush last week vetoed legislation that would have reauthorized and expanded SCHIP (StateChildren's Health Insurance Program). Bush had until December 12 to veto it or allow it to become law, the New York Times reported. The...

Minn. Medicaid reductions will harm kids at risk, say officials.(STATE WATCH)(minnesota)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... Minnesota counties last week received word that the state's new Medicaid rules may cut into $38 million that the counties receive for 20,000 adults and children with mental health problems and 7,000 adults with mental retardation, the Star...

MHA 2008 annual conference.(CALL FOR PROPOSALS)(Conference news)
December 17, 2007... Mental Health America (MHA) welcomes proposals for poster and breakout sessions to be presented at the 2008 Mental Health America Annual Conference, including the inaugural National Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Summit to be held...

NAPHS offers training disc on emergency management compliance.(RESOURCES)(National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems )
December 17, 2007... The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) is offering a two-hour training on compact disc, "Joint Commission Emergency Management Standards for 2008: Using an All-HazardsApproach in Behavioral Health." As of Jan. 1, 2008,...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
December 17, 2007... National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI). The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI) is holding its 18th Annual State Mental Health Agency...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... A new online e-mental health self-help program has been developed by Australian National University researchers and mental health experts to help people with mental health problems jump on the e-couch--so to speak. The new initiative, called...

Release of regulations on Medicaid case management renews field's anxiety: Other changes spark debate at state level.
December 10, 2007... Organizations that advocate for Medicaid beneficiaries with mental health needs now are pointing to two major sources of concern regarding the Bush administration's ongoing series of proposed Medicaid regulatory changes. Having focused a...

National groups mobilize efforts to help smokers with mental illness: groups convene to prioritize smoking cessation in mental health community .
December 10, 2007... Citing a growing recognition that smokers with mental illness need to quit, a host of leading national mental health organizations, providers, consumers and smoking cessation experts have partnered to address the consequences of smoking and...

DBSA peer program features smoking cessation component.(Depression Bipolar Support Alliance)
December 10, 2007... The Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is in the process of incorporating a health and wellness component to its Certified Peer Specialist Program in order to target serious health problems experienced by consumers of mental health...

Former SAMHSA administrator discusses BH in the public sector.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(behavioral health)
December 10, 2007... Both behavioral and medical care play a significant role in an individual's ability to recover and should be considered as equal partners in the treatment process, Charles Curie, former administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health...

MH groups continue advocacy efforts for federal parity bill.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(mental health)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Mental health advocacy groups, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Mental Health America (MHA) last week urged consumers and others to call law-makers and urge...

Eli Lilly announces FDA approval of Cymbalta for treatment of MDD in adults.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Food and Drug Administration)(major depressive disorder)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Officials at Eli Lilly and Company announced last month the approval of Cymbalta (duloxetine HCI) for the maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. The efficacy and safety of Cymbalta for maintenance treatment of...

New survey finds mental illness affecting Katrina residents.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
December 10, 2007... A new survey found that the damaging effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt by thousands of people. The study, financed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and featuring researchers from seven universities, found that...

Study: Older patients with depression, diabetes benefit with depression care treatment.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Older adults with diabetes and depression are half as likely to die over a five-year period when they receive depression care management than depressed patients with diabetes who do not receive depression care management, according to a new...

Nevada Governor may cut budget for triage center.(STATE WATCH)(Jim Gibbons)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... A community triage center planned to help the people with mental illness or substance abusers in Reno might be among the budget cuts ordered by the governor, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. The center is meant to be an emergency treatment...

Ohio rolls out anti-stigma statewide campaign.(STATE WATCH)(Think Outside the Stigma)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The state of Ohio has developed a new statewide message campaign to reduce the stigma of people coping with mental illness and drug addiction. The campaign, "Think Outside the Stigma," was rolled out as part of a legislative day hosted...

NCCBH 2008 Awards of Excellence.(CALL FOR NOMINATIONS)(National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) is accepting member submissions for its 2008 Awards of Excellence program, which honors community-based provider organizations and individuals that have significantly...

Gilberto Romero.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues of the Center for Mental Health Services)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Gilberto Romero, recipient of the New Mexico Governor's Achievement in Aging Award, has been appointed to serve as an expert consultant on the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council Subcommittee on...

APF launches database to highlight innovative approaches to MH.(RESOURCES)(American Psychiatric Foundation's Employer Innovations Online)(mental health)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the American Psychiatric Foundation last month announced the launch of Employer Innovations Online, a web-based, searchable database that profiles employers' innovative policies,...

Coming up ...(National Council for Community Behavioral HealthCare)(American College of Mental Health Administration)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The University of South Florida is hosting its 21st Annual Research Conference, "A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base," on February 24-27, 2008 in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit:...

In case you haven't heard ...(depression)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Depression can eat away at a young woman's bones at least as does low calcium, putting women at risk of life-threatening fractures as they get older, according to a new study in the Nov. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine....

MHA report links states' mental health status and service utilization: report ranks 50 states on levels of depression, suicide.(Mental Health America)
December 3, 2007... Mental Health America (MHA) released a report last week that confirmed what professionals have been saying for years: Access to care and higher treatment utilization improves societal rates of depression and lowers suicidal risk. The...

Philadelphia officials embark on cognitive therapy training for MH counselors.
December 3, 2007... Philadelphia officials have embarked on a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychiatry to provide intensive training for mental health professionals in cognitive therapy (CT) for consumers with mental illness....

Survey examines how Medicaid agencies administer MH services.
December 3, 2007... State Medicaid agencies are playing an increasing role in funding, managing, and monitoring public mental health services in states, reflecting the steady growth over the last three decades in the share of public mental health services funded...

House passes bill to help offenders receive community support.
December 3, 2007... The U.S. House of Representatives this month passed bipartisan legislation to improve the treatment of inmates and help offenders reenter communities after they have served their prison sentences. The Second Chance Act of 2007 (HR 1593)...

Therapists in training at JFK.(John F. Kennedy Community Mental Health/Mental Retardation Center)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Therapists at the John F. Kennedy Community Mental Health/Mental Retardation Center in Philadelphia are being trained to implement cognitive therapy with their outpatient population. Currently eight therapists who represent mental health,...

HHS announces appointments to new federal panel on autism.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt announced last week the members appointed to the HHS' new Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. This committee will facilitate the efficient and effective exchange...

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Otsuka announce FDA approval of Abilify for MDD treatment.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Food and Drug Administration)(major depressive disorder)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Officials at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical announced last week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the supplemental New Drug Application for Ability (aripiprazole) as an adjunctive, or add-on, treatment...

China report finds depression a major cause of homicide.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... In China, about 16.8 percent of people with depression have committed 23 percent of homicides recorded in recent years with many of them being avoidable if good psychiatric care was available, according to a new report released this month....

Correction.(Correction notice)
December 3, 2007... In a story appearing in the Nov. 12 issue of Mental Health Weekly, "Minnesota initiative to focus on depressed patients in primary care," a few words were omitted in the final paragraph. The paragraph, in its entirety, should have read: "The...

Rhode Island receives federal grant to benefit homeless around state.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals has selected the Warrenbased Riverwood Mental Health Services to receive a $507,500 federal grant to provide services over the next two years to 125 homeless people from...

Treatment advocacy center.(NAMES IN THE NEWS )(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Kurt Entsminger has been named the new executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC). Entsminger, a former assistant United States attorney for the southern district of West Virginia, is the organization's second executive...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
December 3, 2007... The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Genetics and Public Policy Center will hold a "Genetic Perspectives on Policy Seminar" on December 17 at the National Press...

In case you haven't heard ...(video games as treatment for anxiety)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Can video games be used to treat anxiety? Experts in Great Britain say yes, according to the Hartford Courant. In Great Britain, the game "FearFighter" was approved to treat panic attacks, mild depression and phobias by a group of mental...

Preview issue coming soon.(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The 2008 Preview Issue for Mental Health Weekly will be published Jan. 7, 2008. This special issue will feature our annual look at the topics most likely to affect the field in the coming year. As in previous years, we'd like to hear from...