Mental Health Weekly articles from November 2011

Mental Health Weekly archives from November 2011

Union report suggests Kaiser Permanente fails to provide proper MH services.
November 21, 2011... Kaiser Permanente, California's largest Health Maintenance Organization and the state's largest provider of mental health services, often violates California laws requiring HMOs to provide patients with "timely access" to appropriate mental...

Lack of funding mechanism seen as barrier to youth screening.
November 21, 2011... Larry Epp, Ed.D., realized early in his career that as an adult treating adolescents, something might be lacking in the depth of the relationship he was forming with his clients. His discovery that youths likely would reveal more to a computer...

Ga. advocates pleased so far with state's progress on BH reform.
November 21, 2011... Following last year's landmark settlement agreement, Georgia officials have made important strides in transforming its behavioral health system, and moving consumers with developmental disabilities and mental illness from state hospitals and...

N.J. officials awaiting CMS approval for changeover to MBHO.
November 21, 2011... As New Jersey officials await approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to transition the state's behavioral health services under a full-risk managed behavioral healthcare organization (MBHO), the provider community is...

Study finds increased health care costs for discharged patients with SMI.
November 21, 2011... Re-hospitalization and pharmacy use are the main drivers of increased costs during the initial 60 days after patients with schizophrenia are discharged from the hospital, according to new analysis presented this month at the U.S. Psychiatric and...

Supreme Court's health law review includes Medicaid expansion.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 21, 2011... The Supreme Court's announcement that it would review the healthcare reform law was not a surprise, but the specific issues it will examine have triggered some shockwaves, Kaiser Health News reported last week. Supporters are reeling over the...

Report: Americans increasingly turn to medications.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 21, 2011... More than one-in-five adult Americans took at least one medication commonly used to treat a psychiatric or behavioral disorder in 2010, according to "America's State of Mind," a Medco Health Solutions, Inc. analysis of trends in mental health...

VA introduces Make the Connection for veterans.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 21, 2011... Make the Connection, a new campaign launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is creating ways for Veterans and their family members to connect with the experiences of other Veterans, and ultimately to connect with information and...

Correction.(Correction notice)
November 21, 2011... In the Nov. 14 article, "SAMHSA creates regional administrator positions for HHS offices," we incorrectly spelled new SAMHSA Regional Administrator A. Kathryn Power's name. MHW regrets the error.

Illinois lawmakers reject governor's closure plans.(STATE NEWS)
November 21, 2011... Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is backing away from a plan that would shutter seven state prisons and treatment centers facilities within months to save money as a bipartisan panel of lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the idea in an advisory vote last...

Washington state announces grant to improve children's MH services.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services last week announced it received a one-year, $800,000 grant to improve mental health services for children across the state. The grant was awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental...

Paolo del Vecchio.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)
November 21, 2011... Paolo del Vecchio has been appointed as acting director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). Del Vecchio currently serves as the CMHS associate director for Consumer Affairs where he manages SAMHSA's activities addressing consumer...

SAMHSA introduces new online behavioral health tools.(RESOURCES)
November 21, 2011... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed several tools to support behavioral health, including links to SAMHSA's Store, a treatment facility locator with a map, and e-mail updates service, as well as...

Deadline for submitting proposals for 2012 Training Institutes extended to November 28.(CALL FOR PROPOSALS)
November 21, 2011... The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development has extended the deadline for proposals for their July 2012 Training Institutes on improving mental health...

In case you haven't hear ...(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... A report appearing recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that low levels of exercise and watching lots of TV were each linked to a higher risk of depression compared to high levels of exercise and little TV viewing. Using data...

NAMI: Medicaid 'squeeze' fueling ongoing state mental health budget crisis.
November 14, 2011... Medicaid pressures, the loss of federal stimulus funds and the forthcoming deliberations of the congressional "Super Committee, could turn a dire crisis into an irreparable one for people with serious mental illness, according to a new report...

Large mental health provider seeks to take data-driven service to next level.
November 14, 2011... Electronic health records (EHRs) appear on everyone's wish list, but are electronically stored data truly being used to improve everyday practice? Evidence-based practices tell providers what treatments might work for most, but do they say...

SAMHSA creates regional administrator positions for HHS offices.
November 14, 2011... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) is expanding its presence in the 10 regional Health and Human Services (HHS) offices across the country by establishing regional administrator positions to serve as liaisons between...

Study finds suicide assessment tool predicts suicide attempt.
November 14, 2011... A study that researchers say can have a tremendous impact nationally and internationally has found that a suicide severity rating scale can assess suicidal behavior and predict an attempt. The findings appear only online in the American Journal...

Behavioral health groups partner to launch integrated treatment model.
November 14, 2011... Several behavioral health organizations along with Hazelden, one of the largest not-for-profit alcohol and drug addiction centers, are partnering to advance a model of integrated treatment as a solution to a growing co-occurring disorders...

National Council launches veterans BH certificate program.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 14, 2011... The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare last week announced the launch of the Serving Our Veterans Behavioral Health Certificate program designed to train civilian behavioral health and primary care providers, on military...

Study finds adults diagnosed with ADHD continue to be challenged.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 14, 2011... Researchers of a new study published in the November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry has found that adults who were diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as children have less gray matter in certain areas of...

North Carolina's NRBH Medicaid suspension upheld.(STATE NEWS)
November 14, 2011... New River Behavioral Health-care (NRBH) provided mental health services in Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Watauga, and Wilkes counties for nearly four decades. On Sept. 22, NRBH CEO Pam Andrews received a letter from the N.C. Division of Medical...

'Train Vets to Treat Vets' program now Massachusetts law.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... The Massachusetts State Legislature and Gov. Deval Patrick's administration recently authorized into law a "Train Vets to Treat Vets" program for the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) in conjunction with the Massachusetts...

Technical assistance center extends deadline for proposals.(CALL FOR PROPOSALS)
November 14, 2011... The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development has extended the deadline for proposals for their July 2012 conference on improving mental health services...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Kids with depressed dads are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems than those whose fathers don't have the blues, according to a new study of more than 20,000 families in last week's issue of the journal Pediatrics. Eleven...

Coming up ...
November 14, 2011... The 2012 NASPA Mental Health Conference will be held January 19-21, 2012 in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.naspa.org. ACMHA-The College for Behavioral Health Leadership is hosting its 2012 Summit March 21-23, 2012 in Charleston,...

Advocates work to protect SSI program for children with mental disabilities.
November 7, 2011... As the deadline for the deficit reduction package approaches, more than 80 national organizations representing mental health and disability providers, advocates and consumers are demanding that lawmakers preserve funding and improve the...

N.C. clubhouses find greater benefit from smoking cessation initiative.
November 7, 2011... A program that started as an encouragement to North Carolina psychosocial rehabilitation clients to consider quitting smoking has ended up bringing significantly more benefits to the sites that have implemented it. In creating an environment for...

Mass. forum addresses MH payment, delivery system reform.
November 7, 2011... As Massachusetts moves forward in implementing the Affordable Care Act, more than 300 Massachusetts officials, policymakers, health care professionals and consumers gathered in Boston last month to discuss payment and delivery system reform and...

Educating psychologists to treat our warriors.(FROM THE FIELD...)
November 7, 2011... The Adler School of Professional Psychology continues the pioneering work of the first community psychologist, Alfred Adler, by training clinical psychologists to be socially responsible practitioners, who engage communities, advance social...

Letter to the editor.(Letter to the editor)
November 7, 2011... Thanks for the story on the necessity of electronic data sharing in the new era we are speedily journeying to (see "Technological supports key in era of health reform and integrated care," MHW, Oct. 31). It is absolutely frustrating that all...

MU studies link depression with breast cancer outcomes.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
November 7, 2011... This year, more than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 40,000 women will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. New research from the University of Missouri published in Psychology and Health...

MH advocates warn against cuts for community MH services.(mental health)(Brief article)
November 7, 2011... Lawmakers are negotiating final funding levels for fiscal year 2012. Mental health advocates are urging consumers to help prevent deep cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (8.4 percent of its budget) as...

Maine considering bill for veteran treatment court.(STATE NEWS)
November 7, 2011... Maine's Rep. Maeghan Maloney, (D-Augusta), has submitted new legislation to establish a specialized treatment court for veterans suffering from mental illness and drug addiction for the upcoming legislative session in January. Veterans Treatment...

Anti-suicide program for Minnesota veterans ramps up.(STATE NEWS)
November 7, 2011... On the heels of an intensive campaign to prevent soldiers from committing suicide, the Minnesota National Guard is hoping to continue reaching at-risk veterans, Minnesota Public Radio reported last week. Senior National Guard leaders have...

New York law expands healthcare coverage for autism treatment.(STATE NEWS)
November 7, 2011... Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a law last week requiring health insurance providers to offer coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Under the new law, health insurance companies must provide coverage for...

Mayo clinic, partners create tools for youth MI identification.(RESOURCES)
November 7, 2011... Mayo Clinic researchers and partners in numerous national mental health advocacy organizations are issuing new simple-to-understand tools to help identify youth who may have mental health disorders for use by parents, professionals and community...

Coming up....
November 7, 2011... The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL) will hold its 15th Annual Conference, "The DIR/Floortime Approach: Bridging Developmental Disabilities, Learning Differences, and Mental Health," November 11-13 in...

In case you haven't heard....(survey says doctors use web browsers to diagnose and treat patients)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 7, 2011... Who knew? Doctors can be hooked on the Internet just like the rest of us. A new survey from Wolters Kluwer Health of more than 300 American Medical Association members (primary care physicians and specialists) found that physicians frequently...