Mental Health Weekly articles from February 2008

Mental Health Weekly archives from February 2008

Campus shooting spurs support, services from mental health community at large.
February 25, 2008... Less than two weeks ago tragedy struck at Northern Illinois University (NIU) when a gunman and former graduate student, entered a class hall and killed five students and injured 18 others before taking his own life. The shooting recalled the...

Study finds hopefulness not improved following MH treatment.(Report)
February 25, 2008... While people taking medication for depression typically see much improvement in their symptoms during the first few months, a sense of hopefulness tends to lag behind such areas as positive well being, work functioning and social functioning,...

ValueOptions initiative offers provider training, consumer choice.
February 25, 2008... ValueOptions Inc. last week announced the launch of a new program designed to promote high quality clinical practices among providers while also supporting members' health care decisions. ValueSelect providers are innetwork providers who...

CDC reports sharp increase in rate of middle age suicide.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... The suicide rate among 45-to-54-year-olds increased by nearly 20 percent between 1999 and 2004, according to recently released research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the same period the suicide rate decreased in people...

Team approach to depression treatment cuts costs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Among the roughly three million Americans affected by clinical depression, health care expenses are 50 to 70 percent higher than those of the average American. Kaiser Permanente co-authored a recent study that examined the multi-center IMPACT...

Study finds low-income women more likely to suffer from postpartum depression.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Poor women from four Iowa counties are much more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than their wealthier counterparts, according to a new study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. The study found that 40...

Mental health services in short supply in Iowa prisons.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... In Iowa, the mental health needs of prisoners have not kept pace with the sharp increase in the prison population, 40 percent of which is comprised of individuals with psychiatric illnesses, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections....

Michigan part of national study on children's mental health care.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... A national study of children's mental health care will include a Michigan Case Study comprised of six counties, including Saginaw, reported the Saginaw News on February 20. The research is a follow up to the 1982 study, "Unclaimed Children:...

Montana launches initiative to boost community-based care.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Following a 2007 legislative initiative to reduce admissions to the over-crowded Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs, the state will launch a pilot program on March 1 that intends to boost community-based short-term care for people in...

Illinois and ValueOptions enter new collaboration.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... The Illinois Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health (DMH) has chosen the independent behavioral health care company ValueOptions, Inc., to assist with the administration of the state's mental health care delivery system. The...

Annette C. Watson, RN-BC, CCM, M.B.A.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Annette C. Watson, RN-BC, CCM, M.B.A, has joined the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International as managing director of emerging business. Watson previously held senior leadership positions at URAC. CARF...

Free online courses on disaster mental health and PTSD.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Essential Learning is currently offering the following continuing education courses free of charge: "Disaster Mental Health Intervention: Project Web-Flash"; and "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." In light of the school shooting incident at...

CME LLC course on adult ADHD.(RESOURCES)(continuing medical education )
February 25, 2008... Although sixty percent of children and adolescents with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to experience impairment into adulthood, it's estimated that only 20 percent of adults with ADHD are ever diagnosed, according to...

SAMHSA's Science and Service Awards.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)
February 25, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) is calling for applications for its 2008 Science and Service Awards, a national program recognizing community-based organizations and their evidence-based mental health and...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
February 25, 2008... The American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA) is hosting its annual Santa Fe Summit,"Impacting Healthcare Reform '08: Leadership in Moving the Mental Health and Substance Use Agenda," on March 13-15 in Santa Fe, N.M. For more...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... Feeling stressed or depressed? Experiencing insomnia? Lend an ear. "Auricular therapy"--applying pressure to specific points of the ear with needles or "ear beads"--is a painless, non-pharmacological cure. Auricular therapy can reportedly...

National Council builds on effort to help agencies measure performance: agreement entered with benchmarking entity.
February 18, 2008... As it seeks to become a stronger advocate for sound mental health policy across the country, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) knows it must demonstrate that it and its member agencies maintain a commitment to...

Michigan commission gives state failing grade for mental health system.(Report)
February 18, 2008... The Mental Health Association in Michigan (MHAM) in a report card released this month gave the state government a failing grade in its failure to respond to a number of recommendations to address the state's mental health system issued by the...

Breaking news ...(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... As Mental Health Weekly went to press, tragedy struck at Northern Illinois University when a graduate student gunman shot several students before turning the gun on himself. Seven people were killed. We will follow up with a story on this...

Bills address suicide prevention among active duty soldiers.
February 18, 2008... Responding to reports that the number of Army suicides and suicide attempts is at an all time high, both House and Senate lawmakers this month introduced legislation aimed at creating comprehensive suicide prevention programs within all...

Chicago initiative offers outreach program for college students.
February 18, 2008... A National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago-based outreach program is helping area college students become aware of college and community mental health resources and options and help them with coping strategies and peer support. ...

APA to lend services to veterans through 'Give an Hour'.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(american psychiatric association )(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... The American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced on February 13 that it is encouraging its members to participate in Give an Hour, a national network of nearly 1,000 volunteers who are "capable of responding to both acute and chronic...

FDA advisory committee votes long-acting Zyprexa safe, effective.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Following a February 6 meeting, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee has advised the FDA that Zyprexa long-acting injection (olanzapine LAI) is effective and acceptably safe for the treatment...

Georgia Governor announces plans to reform DHS.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced this month that he has appointed a nine-member commission to make recommendations toward reforming the state's Department of Human Resources, which includes four divisions: Family and Children's...

Margo Amgott.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Margo Amgott has been appointed the first executive director of the New York University (NYU) Child Study Center. Amgott will serve as its chief operating officer and oversee its management and strategic growth. Previously, Amgott served as...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
February 18, 2008... The Suicide Prevention Action Network, USA (SPAN USA) will hold its 2008 Legislative Institute, "Achieving Change Through Action," on February 26-27 in Washington, D.C. Visit www.spanusa.org for more information and to register. The...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... "I never took a pill for PTSD that did as much for me as Cody has done," said Jo Hanna Schaffer, a Vietnam veteran. Schaffer isn't talking about her doctor or even a family member, but a Chihuahua. CNN reported that Cody is a psychiatric...

Advocates: Bush '09 proposal fails to support consumers with mental illness: mental health programs, services face cuts, elimination.(Financial report)
February 11, 2008... For mental health advocates, the view of the president's proposed fiscal 2009 budget that drastically reduces or eliminates critical mental health programs and services, is more than a disappointment. Mental health advocates say the...

Pennsylvania community agency supports mission through new-business enterprise: private practice, EAP, coaching among ventures.(Company overview)
February 11, 2008... Safe Harbor Behavioral Health, a nonprofit community mental health agency based in Erie, Pa., has seen a remarkable transformation since its humble beginnings in 1993 with "three staff, two chairs, a desk and a phone," in the words of its...

SAMHSA: people displaced after hurricanes face serious MH issues.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(mental health )(Report)
February 11, 2008... Adults forced from their homes for two weeks or more by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita were much more likely to have significantly higher rates of serious psychological distress (SPD), major depressive episode (MDE), and unmet need for mental...

Magellan, Ill. officials launch first PTSD, TBI program for veterans.(traumatic brain injury )(posttraumatic stress disorder )
February 11, 2008... Magellan Health Services, Inc., in partnership with Ill. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and several state departments, last week announced the launch of a new program to help veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to screen...

House lawmakers vote to extend 1996 limited parity law.(Late breaking news)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The House last week passed legislation to extend the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) for an additional year by a vote of 384 to 23, MHW learned last week as we went to press. The measure, HR 4848, now moves to the Senate where it is...

Editorial makes case for removing tobacco from MH settings.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(mental health )(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... In a February 6 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Jill Williams, M.D., states her case for eliminating tobacco from mental health treatment settings, urging advocates to consider evidence of health benefits,...

National Council offers training in "MH First Aid".(BRIEFLY NOTED)(mental health)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Last week in Palm Springs, California mental health professionals and administrators from six states were certified to train laypersons in how to respond to and assist an individual experiencing a mental health crisis until professional help...

Senate considers legislation to boost American Indian healthcare.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The U.S. Senate is considering new legislation that Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said would make progress toward resolving the "crisis" in American Indian healthcare. The legislation would increase screening...

California announces Office of Suicide Prevention.(STATE WATCH)
February 11, 2008... The California Department of Mental Health on February 6 announced the establishment of the Office of Suicide Prevention, which will implement strategies as laid out in the California Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention, an effort underway...

Kentucky advocates push for new state hospital.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Eager to replace a state hospital that is over 180 years old, mental health advocates in Kentucky are promoting plans for a new state-oftheart 308-bed facility including four connected housing units, reported the Lexington Herald-Leader on...

Course for PCPs: Treating Depression in Diverse Populations.(RESOURCES)(PRIMARY CARE & POPULATION SCIENCES)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... "In Living Color: Treating Depression in Diverse Populations (An APA-NAMI Collaboration)" is a course developed by the American Psychiatric Association and the National Association on Mental Illness for primary care physicians interested in...

Names in the news.(Marc Turner has been appointed as a chief operating officer in Charleston-based mental health provider)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Marc Turner, formerly the vice president of product integrity and a compliance officer at Palmetto Behavioral Health, has been named chief operating officer of this Charleston-based mental health provider, which offers services for mental...

Coming up ...(conferences and seminars by mental health services)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 11, 2008... The Suicide Prevention Action Network, USA (SPAN USA) will hold its 2008 Legislative Institute,"Achieving Change Through Action," on February 26-27 in Washington, D.C. Visit www.spanusa.org for more information and to register. The...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Psychiatrist Glen Gabbard, M.D., has called HBO's new half-hour drama, In Treatment "the most convincing psychotherapy seen on television yet," even while he's clear that it is probably impossible to portray absolutely realistic therapy and...

More states expected to report names of those barred from owning gun: feds introduce grants, penalties to encourage MH record reporting.(Report)
February 4, 2008... A new law offering states grants to upgrade technology for determining eligibility for gun purchases, but penalizing states that continue not to report data for a national database, is expected to increase the number of states reporting the...

MHA survey of consumers, psychiatrists uncover barriers to health care.(Mental Health America)(Survey)
February 4, 2008... Mental Health America (MHA) last week released results of the first national online survey to examine overall health care in mental health settings from the perspective of both people with schizophrenia and psychiatrists. The report found...

IDEA, NCLB analysis finds students with disabilities make progress.
February 4, 2008... The National Council on Disability (NCD) last week released a report evaluating the progress of two federal public education laws and found that students with disabilities appear to be doing better academically and are graduating with...

FDA: suicidal thoughts, behaviors linked to antiepileptic drugs.(U.S. Food and Drug Administration )
February 4, 2008... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued new information to health care professionals to alert them about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (suicidality) in patients who take drugs called antiepileptics...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 4, 2008... In the January 21, 2008 Mental Health Weekly article, "Missouri psychologists seek prescribing privileges to treat mental health disorders," we incorrectly identified Dan Abrahamson, Ph.D., as being affiliated with the American Psychiatric...

Aetna receives accreditation for quality care, customer service.
February 4, 2008... Aetna officials last week announced that its Behavioral Health program has received the highest possible rating a managed behavioral health organization can receive from the nation's leading provider of independent quality assessments. ...

Community MH Services Improvement Act introduced in House.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Mental Health )(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... The Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act (HR 5176), which includes provisions such as co-location of primary care services in community mental health settings, was introduced last week in the House by Representatives Gene Green...

NIH maps out 10 years of Down syndrome research.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Armed with suggestions from families of individuals with Down syndrome, Down syndrome research advocacy organizations, and scientists in the field, National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have created a 10-year research plan to advance...

Illinois sets up 24-hour hotline for vets with PTSD.(STATE WATCH)(posttraumatic stress disorder )(Report)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Last week, Illinois introduced a 24-hour telephone hotline for veterans experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making it the first state to offer such a service, reported the Sun Times on January 30. The hotline is...

Names in the news.(David L. Shern received the Luminary Award )(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... David L. Shern, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Mental Health America (MHA) was honored on January 12 at the NARSAD Florida Mental Health Research Symposium. Shern received the Luminary Award for his work "creating greater...

Coming up ...(conferences held by mental health services)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 4, 2008... 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 in Arlington, Va....

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Do Americans trust health information as portrayed on fictional television shows? The American Academy of Pediatrics believes so, and asked ABC to cancel the first episode of its new series "Eli Stone," which aired on last Thursday. The...