Advocacy E-News August 21, 2017
August 21, 2017
CALL TO REOPEN HAGEDORN PSYCH HOSPITAL TO RELIEVE CROWDING
Allegations of overcrowding and unsafe conditions are so serious at the state-run Greystone Psychiatric facility that New Jersey should reopen a Hunterdon County psychiatric hospital that closed five years ago to help relieve the situation, according to Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex), a long time mental health advocate. Codey called on Gov. Chris Christie Monday to reopen the former Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital to help reduce population pressure at Greystone.
ADDITIONAL PROTECTION IS ON WAY FOR ELDERLY
Starting this fall, elderly residents in New Jersey’s nursing homes and other long-term care facilities could benefit from additional protections designed to ensure law enforcement is looped into possible criminal abuse cases right from the start. Gov. Chris Christie signed a bipartisan bill last week that requires workers at the more than 900 state-regulated facilities that house senior citizens to promptly contact police if they suspect abuse, exploitation or other criminal harm involving any of the elderly residents.
EVERYTHING PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT COLLEGE MENTAL HEALTH, BUT DON’T
Many parents are unaware that U.S. colleges are grappling with a mental health crisis of epidemic proportions, and college counseling centers are struggling to meet the skyrocketing demand for services. Almost half of all college-age adults have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder, and college students are seeking psychological help in unprecedented numbers. New Jersey mandates that all residential colleges in the state provide students with 24/7 access to individuals trained in mental health issues and suicide prevention, either by phone or in-person.
PREVENTING TEEN SUICIDE: WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Rates of teen suicide continue to rise, federal health officials reported this month, with rates for girls higher than at any point in the last 40 years. A rational response would be to engage in evidence-based measures to try to reverse this course. Too often, we assume that there’s nothing we can do. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an evidence-based guide on how to prevent suicide.
FIND YOUR LOCAL NAMI
