Mental Health Weekly articles from July 2006

Mental Health Weekly archives from July 2006

Advocates see lingering problems with medicaid citizenship rule: comments due to CMS on Aug. 11.
July 31, 2006... Despite some recently announced relaxations of Medicaid proof-of-citizenship requirements called for in the federal Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) enacted earlier this year, some mental health advocates still see the new regulations as having a...

Senate committee restores funding for mental health programs.
July 31, 2006... The Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month left its mark on its Labor/Health and Human Services (HHS)/Education budget proposal that restored funding to some mental health programs and services slated for cuts by the Bush...

TennCare officials award two new managed care contracts: MCO winners emerge from strong field of competitors.(managed care organizations)
July 31, 2006... Tennessee officials last week selected two new managed care organizations (MCOs) to assume full financial risk to participate in the state's Medicaid program and offer integrated health and mental health services for TennCare recipients in...

Tenn. moves forward with providing services for persons with SPMI.(serious and persistent mental illness)
July 31, 2006... Following the disenrollment of TennCare beneficiaries from the TennCare program due to TennCare reform last year, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities moved to develop the Mental Health Safety Net to...

New hope in treating borderline personality disorder.(dialectical behavior therapy for Borderline personality disorder )(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... Borderline personality disorder affects an estimated 5.8 to 8.7 million Americans, most of them women. Medical News Today reported (July 6) on a recent study finding that a particular cognitive behavioral approach called dialectical behavior...

McLean looks for schizophrenia genes.(McLean Hospital research grant for schizophrenia genetic research)(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... Armed with a $3-million, fiveyear grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), researchers with McLean Hospital, a mental health care facility in Massachusetts, announced last week they will begin work on identifying the...

State Department, MHN launch online health program.(Managed Health Network)(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... Behavioral health care provider Managed Health Network (MHN), a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc., announced last week it is collaborating with the U.S. Department of State on an online and telephonic health coaching program. Beginning August 1,...

Drug treatment program addresses mental illness.(McLean Hospital opens residential treatment program center)(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate located in Belmont, Mass. announced on July 17 the opening of The McLean Center at Fernside, a residential treatment program for individuals with substance use disorders, part of the...

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recognized Judge Brent Moss from Rexburg, Idaho's Seventh Judicial District for his work in forming a mental health court, and helping to reduce jail time for defendants with mental illness, reported KPVI (June 22).(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recognized Judge Brent Moss from Rexburg, Idaho's Seventh Judicial District for his work in forming a mental health court, and helping to reduce jail time for defendants with mental illness, reported KPVI...

Shire files for long-acting adult ADHD drug.(attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder new drug application )(Brief article)
July 31, 2006... In a move that Shire plc says underscores its commitment to be the "market leader" in treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the pharmaceutical company announced (July 21) that it has filed a new drug application...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
July 31, 2006... The Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH) will hold its 2006 Annual Conference on August 6-8 in Chicago. This year's theme is "The Winds of Change--Adjusting Your Sails for PHP and Intensive Outpatient Services." For more...

In case you haven't heard ...
July 31, 2006... Just another face in the crowd? A recently published study suggests that a condition called prosopagnosia--or face blindness--is more common than previously believed, the New York Times reported. Even with perfect eyesight, individuals...

Community providers say Medicare Part D has taken financial toll: reimbursement prospects continue to appear dim.
July 24, 2006... While implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit has appeared to reach a state of relative stability, community mental health providers certainly have not put behind them the implementation challenges that have affected...

National initiative to obtain real-time feedback on college student's MH: effort will create national database of MH statistics.(mental health)
July 24, 2006... Citing a need to address the critical gap in research on college student mental health, Penn State officials last month announced the development of a nationwide data-sharing network of college and university counseling centers that will...

Study touts success of integrating MH, primary pediatric care.(mental health)
July 24, 2006... Following the study of three North Carolina practice models in which mental health professionals are co-located with pediatric primary care providers, researchers found that each of the models was sustainable, partly due to systemic changes...

States report complex monitoring of adult, children facilities.
July 24, 2006... States use a variety of methods for monitoring residential facilities for adults and children with mental illness, according to two reports released last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). The findings...

DoD establishes mental health task force.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Department of Defense)(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... Under the fiscal 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress has directed the establishment of a Department of Defense (DoD) task force to examine mental health issues faced by the Armed Forces. "High on the list will be steps for...

Likelihood of relapse linked with depression treatment.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... The second phase of a Canadian study suggests that patients who have recovered from major depression have more protection from relapse if their recovery involved cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as opposed to antidepressant treatment,...

Researchers present model of "complicated grief".(BRIEFLY NOTED)
July 24, 2006... Dutch researchers believe that the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is likely to include a new diagnosis: "complicated grief," reported CNN (June 21). Paul A....

George Albee dies at 84.(OBITUARY)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... George Albee, a psychologist and former head of the American Psychological Association, died July 8 at his home in Long Boat Key, Florida at the age of 84. Albee was known for his thesis that social depravation and poverty were responsible...

Psychiatric Systems purchases NDA and Cedars.(BUSINESS)(National Deaf Academy)(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... On July 5, Psychiatric Systems, Inc. announced the completed purchase of the National Deaf Academy (NDA) in Florida, which specializes in the provision of mental healthcare to deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind children, adolescents and...

Research grants: rural mental health and drug abuse disorders.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a grant program to encourage research on mental health and/or drug abuse problems in rural and frontier communities, with stated goals including enhancing the "understanding of structural,...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
July 24, 2006... The American Psychological Association's 2006 Convention will take place August 10-13 in New Orleans. Continuing Education workshops will be available. For more information and a list of program abstracts, visit...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
July 24, 2006... For years, pregnant women have been told that too much stress could slow their baby's cognitive development or lead to behavioral problems. The New York Times reported (June 27) that a new study indicates that moderate levels of stress might...

Arkansas providers may encounter new realities in children's MH care: state seeks departure from unregulated Medicaid system.(Mental Health)
July 17, 2006... Arkansas' public system for children's mental health services is largely based on an adult service model, lacks accountability for spending and outcomes, and suffers from a glaring lack of family member involvement, most stakeholders in the...

New York officials move forward with recovery-oriented services for consumers: six counties will implement Medicaid initiative.
July 17, 2006... The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) this month announced plans to resume efforts for area counties to implement the state's new Medicaid outpatient rehabilitation program, which provides customized recovery-oriented services to...

Depression costs triple for persons with less access to MH care.(Mental Health)
July 17, 2006... A new report released last week by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that individuals with depression and limited access to treatment incur an average of nearly three times the annual out-of-pocket costs for medication,...

N.Y. advocates buoyed by budget wins; concerned about parity.
July 17, 2006... While New York behavioral health advocates have succeeded on several legislative fronts, including the passage of legislation to end solitary confinement of prisoners with severe psychiatric disorders, enhanced community-based services for...

O'Quinn Foundation pledges $25 million to Menninger.(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The Menninger Clinic reported (July 7) that when it became affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital in 2003, the groups shared a vision of creating a campus that would unite mental health care, research and...

Should pediatricians screen for maternal depression?(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The results of a study published in the journal Pediatrics suggest that routine screening for maternal depression during well-child visits could "pay preventive dividends in the child's mental health and healthy development," according to...

SAMHSA announces 2007 review priorities.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(www.samhsa.gov)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... On June 30 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced its fiscal 2007 review priorities for mental health and substance use prevention and treatment programs and practices. The priorities were submitted...

Sylvia Caras.(National Mental Health Association Clifford W. Beers award)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) announced it has awarded the Clifford W. Beers Award to Sylvia Caras of Santa Cruz, California for her international human rights work. The NMHA writes, "The Beers award is presented annually to a...

Coming up...
July 17, 2006... Professional Risk Management Services (PRMS) will hold a full-day seminar, "The Road to Risk Management Success: Skills and Strategies to Map your Route," on July 29 in Denver. For more information, visit www.prms.com. The National...

In case you haven't heard ...
July 17, 2006... The results of a recent trial have stoked renewed interest in the potentially positive psychotropic effects of "magic" mushrooms, which can generate feelings of peace and joy in some users, reported the Wall Street Journal (July 11). Study...

Advocates call for more flexibility with Medicaid documentation law: CMS offers some relief; legal challenge under way.
July 10, 2006... The arrival of the July 1 effective date for proof-of-citizenship requirements for Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries did little to reduce confusion about the substance of the requirements. But as MHW was going to press, some late-week...

STAR*D study reveals low remission rates in third trial.(Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression)(Clinical report)
July 10, 2006... In the third phase of one of the country's largest public health clinical trials on depression, researchers have found that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have already failed on two prior antidepressants and then switched...

Study: MH critical to adolescent substance abuse treatment.
July 10, 2006... Nearly all facilities, about 97 percent, that treat significant numbers of children and adolescents for substance abuse conduct comprehensive substance abuse assessments. However, only half of these facilities also conduct comprehensive...

Web company launches social networking site on MH wellness.(Real Mental Health, Inc. launches Real Mental Health.com)(Website overview)
July 10, 2006... A Miami-based web site organization last month announced the launch of the first social networking site focusing on mental health wellness and treatment. The web site provides a supportive community environment where members affected by...

Drug approved for dementia with Parkinson's.(Briefly Noted)
July 10, 2006... Novartis has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market its drug Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) to treat mild to moderate dementia in Parkinson's disease, which afflicts an estimated 0.2 to 0.5 percent of people over...

Kansas county considers mental health council.(Briefly Noted)(Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Douglas County, Kansas closes psychiatric unit)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... Following the 2004 closure of the inpatient psychiatric unit at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (LMH) in Douglas County, Kansas, members of a mental health task force concluded that although the city is not yet in need of an inpatient unit,...

FDA issues guidance against unapproved drugs.(Briefly Noted)(Marketed Unapproved Drugs--Compliance Policy Guide)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... On June 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a strengthening of its efforts against unapproved drug products, which comprise an estimated 2 percent of prescribed drugs. A new final guidance document, "Marketed Unapproved...

NCCBH offers provider toolkit on new Medicaid requirements.(Resources)(National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is offering a free provider toolkit on Medicaid proof of citizenship requirements. Behavioral health provider organizations can use the toolkit to help the Medicaid-eligible individuals...

Jane Porter.(Names in the news)(United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association appointment)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... After two years without a Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs, the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA) has named Jane Porter to the post. Porter brings with her over 13 years experience on Capitol...

Pfizer, Teva to compete with generic Zoloft.(Business)(Brief article)
July 10, 2006... The end of June marked the expiration of drug maker Pfizer's patent for its antidepressant drug Zoloft (sertraline), which accounted for over $3 billion in worldwide sales in 2005. Pfizer's subsidiary Greenstone Ltd. has announced it will...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
July 10, 2006... The American Psychological Association's 2006 Convention will take place August 10-13 in New Orleans. Continuing Education workshops will be available. For more information and a list of program abstracts, visit http://www....

In case you haven't heard ...
July 10, 2006... A recent study finds that Americans may be lonelier than ever, as community connections become ever more tenuous and social isolation becomes the norm, reported the New York Times (July 2). Sociologists at Duke University and the University...