Advocacy E-News July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
SENATE DEMOCRATS CALL ON GOV TO FIGHT EFFORT TO DISMANTLE ACA
Trenton – Warning of the severe consequences a repeal of the landmark national health care program would have on New Jersey, Senate Democratic leaders today called on Governor Christie to fight an effort by President Trump and the Republican Congress to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid.
OFFICERS TRAINED TO CAREFULLY HANDLE THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
Atlantic County Law Enforcement officials gathered for special training with the intention to better equip officers with the skills they need to carefully handle citizens dealing with mental disorders or special needs, when officers are out in the field. The goal of the training is to further professionalize police responses, build relationships, and minimize the necessity to utilize force. The one-day training session is designed to fulfill the training requirement mandated by the New Jersey Attorney General and taught de-escalation techniques to the officers to help reduce the risk of injury or death to both the subject and the police officer.
MORE NJ TEENS ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE: WHY IT’S HAPPENING
More children and teenagers in New Jersey are committing suicide, a phenomenon that’s ringing alarm bells for mental health professionals. After unintentional injury and illness, suicide is now the third leading cause of death for New Jersey’s young people ages 10-24. The number of suicides among children and young adults has increased 40 percent since 2002, according to the New Jersey Youth Suicide Report.
CHRISTIE VETOES RESTORING FOOD STAMPS
Among the items Christie vetoed was one that would have restored “Heat and Eat” benefits that attach certain federal nutritional benefits to state heating assistance. When the federal government changed aspects of the program in 2014, most eligible states changed their own rules to ensure the continuation of crucial benefits but New Jersey did not do so. As a result, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been cut by an average of $90 per month for an estimated 160,000 New Jersey households
GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL ELIMINATING CN FOR PSYCH HOSPITALS
The current opioid crisis highlights the need to expand treatment capacity in New Jersey. This bill would eliminate the requirement that a health care facility obtain a certificate of need (CN) from the Department of Health (DOH) to develop inpatient treatment beds for treatment of patients who have both a psychiatric and a substance use disorder. This bill hopes to improve the availability of treatment to individuals in need of both mental health and substance use treatment.
FIND YOUR LOCAL NAMI
