Advocacy E-News January 29, 2018

January 29, 2018

 

LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT OF 2017 SIGNED INTO LAW

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed into law the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 which would help agencies create and improve mental health services for law enforcement officers. The law would direct the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop resources to equip local law enforcement agencies to address mental health challenges faced by officers. The bill would also make grants available to initiate peer mentoring pilot programs, develop training for mental health providers specific to law enforcement mental health needs, and support law enforcement officers by studying the effectiveness of crisis hotlines and annual mental health checks.

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MOST LARGE US PUBLIC COLLEGES FAIL TO KEEP RECORDS ON SUICIDES

Most large public universities in the United States do not keep records of how many students have taken their own lives. Yet many American colleges and universities are making investments in suicide prevention. And the demand for mental health services is rising. These are just a few of the findings of a report by the Associated Press, or AP, news agency. The report was released in early January.

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FEDS FREEZE MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES REGISTRY

Federal health officials recently froze a program aimed to educate the public and provide information about evidence-based mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.
Established in 1997, the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices was overseen by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The registry has been a go-to tool for many.

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COUNTIES TO COUNT HOMELESS WEDNESDAY

Surveyors will spread out across every county in New Jersey on Wednesday to conduct the state’s annual homelessness count. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the survey helps the agency determine funding for programs that target homelessness. Last January, surveyors counted 8,532 homeless men, women and children in the state, a 4.6 percent decrease from 2016.

See Kim Mulford’s Courier Post Story