Advocacy E-News April 28, 2016
April 28, 2016
FOR POLICE, A PLAYBOOK FOR CONFLICTS INVOLVING MENTAL ILLNESS
At a time when police behavior is under intense scrutiny — a series of fatal shootings by police officers have focused national attention on issues of race and mental illness. People with mental illnesses are overrepresented among civilians involved in police shootings: Twenty-five percent or more of people fatally shot by the police have had a mental disorder, according to various analyses. In response to public outcry, many police departments have, like Portland, turned to more training for their officers, in many cases adopting some version of a model pioneered in Memphis almost three decades ago and known as crisis intervention team training, or C.I.T.
REPORT: SJ’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM NEEDS OVERHAUL
New Jersey’s mental health and addiction treatment systems are so discriminatory and badly in need of an overhaul that they should be a campaign issue for the upcoming gubernatorial election, former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy said Monday. The Brigantine resident was the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the South Jersey Behavioral Health Innovation Collaborative to unveil the results from its yearlong study of how hospital emergency departments have been impacted by an increase of patients experiencing a mental health crisis.
HOSPITALS TEST PUTTING PSYCHIATRISTS ON MEDICAL WARDS
Some leading hospitals have begun placing psychiatrists and other mental-health professionals into medical units to identify psychological problems early in a patient’s stay. Mental-health professionals working on the front lines with medical doctors improve care and help reduce the time patients need to stay in the hospital, studies suggest. Some practitioners also say the approach might cut the likelihood patients will need to be readmitted.
NYC UNVEILS $2 MILLION MENTAL HEALTH ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
New York City has launched a $2 million advertising campaign meant to get people thinking and talking about mental health problems. City first lady Chirlane McCray unveiled the television, print, online and subway and bus ads Monday. They feature people talking about their experiences with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and addiction. McCray says the campaign aims to “change the mindset around the mind” by showing that mental illness isn’t shameful and recovery is possible.
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