mental health

And uncovers two hard truths: (1) Republicans in Raleigh have no motive, interest or commitment to mental health in any way, shape or form. (2) Those same Republicans also have no shame.

Hi. Please urge State Senators to quickly pass House Bill 5. As WRAL reports on the temporary funding for Group Homes issue:

The House voted 116-0 on House Bill 5, but it's fate in the Senate remains murky. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said Wednesday that he wasn't in a hurry to address the group home issue.

http://www.wral.com/house-budget-writers-pass-group-home-fix/12047540/

From the Director of The National Alliance on Mental Illness North Carolina chapter:

WRAL to Air Hour-long, Commercial Free, Prime Time Special: gun rights, public safety, and mental health
January 23rd @ 8pm

RALEIGH -It's the debate raging across the nation: gun rights, public safety and mental health. In a one hour, commercial free, prime time special, WRAL-TV will probe North Carolina's gun laws, the right to bear arms, security in public places, violence in entertainment, and how the state treats the mentally ill. Soft Targets, Hard Choices is hosted by veteran WRAL News anchors David Crabtree and Debra Morgan and premieres January 23 @ 8pm, followed by live chats on WRAL.com starting at 9pm.

Soft Targets, Hard Choices examines some of the societal issues that are debated after public mass shootings.

The Right to Bear Arms vs Gun Control

The rush to find a reason “why” the Sandy Hook shootings took place results from natural instinct. But, it is important that prejudice against those with psychiatric disabilities and resulting bias in reporting be acknowledged and addressed, so that those with mental illnesses are not painted with a broad brush.

It was a single individual involved in the Friday shootings, and statistics from many years of research show that persons with psychiatric disabilities are not generally more violent than those who do not have a disability. The exceptional cases are those persons with co-occurring substance or alcohol abuses problems, which do have higher rates of violence than the norm.

A recent report revealed horrifying conditions for the mentally ill at North Carolina’s Central Prison. Prisoners were left isolated for staggeringly long amounts of times, some were left to wallow in their own filth with nothing but a safety blanket and others were neglected or over prescribed medication which may have led to the death of one inmate.

Jenny Lancaster, chief operating officer for the NC DOC, excused these conditions by citing how the prison system is severely understaffed and under-equipped. Luckily, the prison will receive a new mental health facility to address these issues, but some doubt this will actually fix the problem. These conditions are simply inexcusable.

Nobody is being held accountable. No prison staff has been fired and nobody is up for disciplinary review. This injustice is beyond outrageous.

 
@ncgovoffice yfrog.com/h265tjij
 

One of the big shortcomings of living in Maryland for a year is that I don't get to hear what's on WUNC-FM. So I was really glad to get an email this week about an in-depth series by Rose Hoban on the sad state of mental health services in North Carolina. These reports should be required listening for every state policy maker. Please follow me below the fold for a quick look at the five part series.

I have written a couple of articles this week that I think deserve your attention. You can read the articles at www.examiner.com/Raleigh/politics.

If you care not a twit about folks with disabilities (which is the case with most legislators), at least consider that another lawsuit settlement like the ones with Thomas S and Willie M could be a "budget buster."

The Institute of Medicine released its report on the adult care situation in late January. The report includes a list of recommendations for the legislators to consider this session. The report was done at taxpayers' expense.

I feel a chill running down my spine as I open yet another envelope. I know that folded within is another medical bill I won’t be able to pay. The healthcare reform bill that was signed into law this week and praised by Cal Cunningham has the potential to change my life. My story isn’t really all that different from the stories of millions of other Americans who have played battle royale with health insurance companies. But I feel like my story needs telling, if only to provide a comforting nod of solidarity to others in similar circumstances.

Currently licensed professional counselors (LPCs) and licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) are not eligible for Medicare reimbursement. I believe that the House health care bill has a provision that would rectify this, but the Baucus Senate bill doesn't.

The request is simple enough: call Kay Hagan (202-224-6342) and Richard Burr (202-224-3154) and ask them to support S.671, The Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2009. Thanks in advance.