Mental Health Weekly articles from March 2005

Mental Health Weekly archives from March 2005

Pataki introduces bill to make N.Y. assisted outpatient treatment law permanent: MH advocates call for improved services, continued oversight.(George E. Pataki)
March 28, 2005... New York State's Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) law this month is the center of heightened activity following legislation introduced this month by Gov. George E. Pataki to make the measure known as Kendra's Law permanent, and the release...

NIMH emphasizes basic research in reorganization of grant portfolio: Institute seeks to maximize impact on public health.(National Institute of Mental Health)
March 28, 2005... The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) this month announced revised priorities and a reorganization of its research portfolio. Citing lower budget increases, the organization said it plans to reduce growth in all areas of its NIMH...

Dual-focus mutual aid groups improve outcomes for persons with co-occurring disorders.(From the Field ...)(Double Trouble in Recovery)
March 28, 2005... Four million adults in the U.S. have co-occurring serious mental illness and a substance use disorder, according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Many previous studies have shown that, among mental health patients,...

ValueOptions.(Names in the News)(National Business Group on Health's National Committee on Employee Sponsored Behavioral Health Services)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Chuck Taylor, executive VP of the ValueOptions Employer Solutions Division, has been invited to serve on the National Business Group on Health's National Committee on Employee Sponsored Behavioral Health Services. ValueOptions is a behavioral...

National Foundation for Mental Health.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Jerry Vaccaro, M.D., president and CEO of PacifiCare Behavioral Health since 2001, has been appointed to the board of directors of the National Foundation for Mental Health, a private, non-profit organization committed to fighting mental...

The Providence Center.(Names in the News)(community-based outpatient behavioral health organization)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Frank Casale, Jr., senior vice president of Sovereign Bank, and Joel N. Stark, a business consultant, have been appointed to the board of directors of The Providence Center, a community-based outpatient behavioral health organization in...

Suicide rates higher among police officers.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... According to an Associated Press report, higher rates of suicide exist among police officers than the general public, and based on some reports, police officers are more likely to die at their own hands than in the line of duty. John...

Illinois files suit against drug companies.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Since the year 2000, nineteen states have filed suits against large pharmaceutical companies, charging them with inflating drug prices to increase profits. The results, reported the Chicago Sun-Times, are multi-million dollar settlements...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
March 28, 2005... The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) will hold its 2005 Juvenile Justice National Symposium," Joining Forces for Better Outcomes," June 13 in Miami, Fla. Visit www.cwla.org/conferences/2005jjsymposiumrfp.htm for more information. ...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Two dozen psychiatric professionals from Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, Maine and the Maine Medical Center are participating in "Literature and Medicine," a program of the Maine Humanities Council designed to build bridges among...

Rx transition for many CMHC clients brings fears of major upheaval; dual-eligibles face change in medication coverage.(NCCBH Conference Coverage Issue)(community mental health center)
March 21, 2005... As many proposed changes to federal entitlement programs create a sense of unease for mental health providers, one already-decided change that is finally getting wide attention could create significant problems with prescription drug coverage...

Implementation of Calif.'s Proposition 63 will break from 'business as usual'.
March 21, 2005... While much work remains in shaping California's unprecedented initiative to infuse new dollars into the state mental health system, architects and overseers of the multi-million dollar program are already vowing to settle for nothing short of...

New Mexico psychologists seek stronger definition for prescribing authority.
March 21, 2005... At the end of last week, psychologists in New Mexico were waiting to see whether the state legislature would settle an issue that they thought had been decided during two-and-a-half years of developing rules for their ability to prescribe...

Website for parents of depressed children.(Resources)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has announced the launch of a new website, www.ParentsMedGuide.org, a resource center for parents of children with depression. The site's focal point is a fact sheet entitled,...

Neurotech growth attracts investor dollars.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... A NeuroInsights press release suggests that venture capital investment in neurotechnology companies climbed 225 percent between 1999 and 2004, and that this science of developing treatments for neurological and psychiatric illnesses today...

Test panel looks for digestive ailments in ADHD.(Business Notes)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... Look for Health LLC has announced its entry into an agreement with ACM Laboratories of Rochester, N.Y., a subsidiary of Unity Health Systems, Ltd. Under the agreement, Look for Health will provide ACM exclusive rights to market and perform...

Functioning improves in elderly treated for depression.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that treatment for depression in older adults, ages 60 and older, could have simultaneous benefits for physical functioning and tasks of daily living. Gerontology...

Bill proposes coverage for mental illness.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... The Oregon Senate Health Policy Committee has approved a bill that would require health insurers to provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as for physical ailments, wrote the Associated Press. According to Senate President Peter...

Affluent counties not free of mental health concerns.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... Despite its relative affluence and solid health profile, California's Santa Clara County is faced with a discouraging picture of mental health among its youth. The San Jose Mercury News reported that the 2005 Santa Clara County Children's...

Abilify approved for treating Bipolar I.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Abilify tablets and oral solution (aripiprazole) for use in patients with Bipolar I Disorder, who have been...

Genetics could affect proclivity for addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... With the discovery of a gene variation that they suggest could be linked to nicotine addiction, researcher Jerry Stitzel, Ph.D., and his team may have gained "important knowledge about the biology of addiction," and moved the field closer to...

Coming up...(meetings)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 21, 2005... The American College of Mental Health Administration will hold its Santa Fe Summit 2005 March 30-April 2 in Santa Fe, N.M. This year's topic is "Tracking the Transformation." For more information, visit www.acmha.org. Foundations...

Cymbalta could treat late-life depression.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... In a study funded by Eli Lilly and Co. and published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the efficacy and safety of Cymbalta (duloxetine) was evaluated in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and associated pain...

In case you haven't heard...(neuropsychology )(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... Go ahead, forget everything you've learned. Your college education may still pay off in the long run. A study published in the journal Neuropsychology proposes that in older adults, those with more years of education tend to suffer less...

From new rules to spending caps, Medicaid programs face major changes: Washington, Florida plan major changes for programs.(What's Next For Medicaid)
March 14, 2005... While the restructuring of Medicaid is debated on the federal level, significant changes to the program are already under way in a number of states. Florida is developing plans to restructure Medicaid and cap annual spending. In other states,...

Texas embarks on disease management model for people with serious MI: advocates want to see access to services, funding increased.(Resiliency and Disease Management initiative)
March 14, 2005... Following a state mandate, Texas officials have implemented a disease management framework in their public mental health system for persons with severe mental illness. However, local mental health advocates, while supporting the model, have...

Legislators protest OIG interpretation of IMD exclusion: audits deny reimbursement for children's care.(Office of the Inspector General ruling on hospital reimbursement for mentally ill)
March 14, 2005... In a policy that goes all the way back to the era of mammoth state hospitals for the mentally ill, Medicaid does not pay for the care of adults in "institutions for mental diseases," considering that a state responsibility. Called the...

Parents, teens give positive reviews on impact of ADHD treatment.(attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder)
March 14, 2005... A survey commissioned by the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) on parent and teen attitudes about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) led to one conclusion: treatment works. The survey of 268 parents of teens with ADHD and...

Christina Beato, M.D., Assistant Secretary of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Rolando Torres, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Personnel, will be honored by the New Jersey Mental Health Institute, Inc., for their commitment to the provision of quality mental health services to the Hispanic community.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Christina Beato, M.D., Assistant Secretary of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Rolando Torres, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Personnel, will be honored by the New Jersey Mental Health Institute,...

Butler Hospital.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Patricia Melaragno has been named director of marketing and public affairs at Butler Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Providence, R.I. She brings to the role extensive experience in the healthcare marketing field, having directed public...

National Association of Specialty Health Organizations.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Michele D. Alfano, R.N., and Sharon E. Ware have been elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Specialty Health Organizations. Alfano is the chief operating officer at ValueOptions and Ware fills the same role at...

Neurologix, Inc.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Eric J. Nestler, M.D., Ph.D., and Daniel H. Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D., have joined the scientific advisory board at Neurologix, Inc., a New Jerseybased development-stage company engaged in the research and development of proprietary treatments...

CMHC Systems.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Zachary Zettler is the new senior vice president, sales and professional services at CMHC Systems, a provider of information technology and business solutions for behavioral health, human services and public health organizations. Zettler...

Website joins mental and physical health.(Resources)(Florida Health Partners)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... A new feature on the Florida Health Partners (FHP) website will allow state Medicaid members access to a Health Education Answers site, part of Eli Lilly and Co.'s patient education program. According to the FHP press release, its goal is to...

New documentation tool compatible with DSM.(Resources)(Outcomes Assessment And Reporting System)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The Change Companies and Evince Clinical Assessments have partnered to offer the Outcomes Assessment And Reporting System (OAARS), to be used by clinicians to document progress through treatment sessions. Compatible with the DSM-IV TR and the...

Juvenile Justice newsletter assumes online format.(Resources)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The bimonthly newsletter of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has switched to a strictly online format. Beginning with the January/February issue, "OJJDP News at a Glance" will be e-mailed to subscribers, as...

Sunergi wins contract with Lutheran Social Services.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Lutheran Social Service (LLS) of Minnesota has selected Sunergi, Inc., a leading reseller of Microsoft Great Plains software, for a major enterprise resource planning contract. LSS is Minnesota's largest nonprofit social service agency,...

FDA seizes Paxil and Avandamet tablets.(Briefly Noted)(drug manufacturing practices cited)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Citing inadequate manufacturing practices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Justice have seized all remaining stocks of Paxil CR (paroxetine) and Avandamet (Metformin hydrochloride) tablets, approved for...

Emergency rooms miss mental health diagnoses.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The results of a Louisiana State University study indicate that U.S. hospital emergency room departments fail to diagnose a great number of psychiatric disorders, according to HealthDay News. The researchers suggest that this could be most...

Marijuana compound shows potential for Alzheimer's.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, could be important players in future drug targets for fighting the plaque build-up that leads to Alzheimer's disease (AD)....

Coming up ...(Calendar)
March 14, 2005... The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges will present the 32nd National Conference on Juvenile Justice March 20-23 in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.ncjfcj.org. CARF International and BayCare co-sponsor...

In case you haven't heard ...(Irritable Male Syndrome)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Grumpy old men may finally have a condition to call their own, The Scotsman reports. According to Jed Diamond, a psychotherapist specializing in men's health, Irritable Male Syndrome (IMS) can beset men between the ages of 40 and 55, or as...

Spiraling pharmacy costs create push to limit access to mental health drugs.(What's Next For Medicaid)(Editorial)
March 7, 2005... Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series looking at the problems mental health systems face as states look for ways to cut the costs of their Medicaid programs. Many states are taking a hard look at ways to control...

NAMI releases report responding to planned cuts in TennCare coverage: advocates recommend retention of core mental health services.(National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
March 7, 2005... The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), as part of its "Campaign for the Mind of America," made a stop last week in Tennessee in response to the governor's plans to eliminate TennCare coverage for 30,000 adults with serious and...

HIPAA requires limiting physical access to information.(From the Field ...)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 )
March 7, 2005... Editor's Note: This is the fourth and last column in a series by Paul Litwak on how providers and other health care organizations can prepare for the HIPAA Security Rule that goes into effect in April. Physical security When people...

Magellan officials pleased with strong fourth-quarter earnings: officials say focus on growth is number one initiative for 2005.
March 7, 2005... Magellan Health Services, Inc., last week announced they were pleased with fourth-quarter earnings for 2004, which were released last week. Looking forward, company officials said they wanted to maintain their strong customer base and focus...

Horizon reorganizes EAP services group.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Horizon Health Corporation has announced a reorganization of its EAP Services Group, which provides employee assistance programs to employers and behavioral health administrative services for employer benefit plans. The restructuring will...

Journal focuses on behavioral health in workplace.(Resources)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The journal formerly called Employee Assistance Quarterly, published by Haworth Press, Inc., has been renamed, Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health to reflect a new, expanded mission. Geared toward workplace human services administrators...

Increase seen in Marine suicides.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... A National Mental Health Association news brief reported that 31 U.S. Marines killed themselves last year, reflecting a 29 percent increase in suicide within this group. According to Marine General Michael W. Hagee, suicide among the ranks is...

Deadline approaches for black box warnings.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... In October 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a requirement that "black box" warnings be added to the labels of antidepressants, alerting consumers of the possible increased risk of attempted suicide in children who take...

Coming up ...(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 7, 2005... Kathleen Sciacca will hold a Motivational Interviewing Seminar March 14-16 in New York City. Visit her website, which addresses the dual diagnosis of mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism, at http://pobox.com/~dualdiagnosis for more...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Feeling blue? Hit the gym. While the mood-boosting benefits of exercise are well accepted, a study in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined the science behind this phenomenon and found that exercise can truly help to manage...