Advocacy E-News March 26, 2019
March 26, 2019
PARITY BILL PASSED BY NJ LEGISLATURE
Bipartisan legislation to enhance enforcement and oversight of behavioral health parity laws has passed the New Jersey Legislature and now goes to Governor Murphy for approval.
The legislation, S-1339/A-2031, would clarify the existing parity coverage requirement to include behavioral healthcare services. The bill is designed to coordinate New Jersey law with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act – a federal law designed to put mental health benefits on the same footing as other benefits in the law.
GREYSTONE TRUSTEES ADDRESS VIOLENCE
While new figures indicate Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital is improving in some areas, they also show it has a ways to go to eliminate assaults and meet staffing goals. Alarmed by allegations of violence and civil rights violations detailed in a federal lawsuit filed last year against Greystone, four mental-health advocates spoke Thursday during a meeting of the state-run facility’s board of trustees.
ANCORA STAFF ON LEAVE AFTER PATIENT DEATH
Several state employees are on administrative leave in the wake of a patient’s recent death at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital, state officials confirmed Monday. The state Department of Health is investigating the incident, and ordered additional training in emergency response procedures for clinical staff. The department oversees all four of the state’s psychiatric hospitals.
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION STARTING IN KINDERGARTEN?
New Jersey could join a small but growing handful of states that require public schools — in some cases starting in kindergarten and running through high school — to include mental health education as part of the curriculum. The measure would require the State Board of Education to consult experts and update the learning standards that relate to health and physical education to include mental health lessons.
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POLICE OFFICER HONORED AFTER SAVING ARMED SUICIDAL MAN’S LIFE
A police officer here tracked down a suicidal man and then coaxed him to safety last month, officials said. Evesham Township Officer Jared Halpern was on duty when the department received a request that a check be made for a missing subject, who was reported to be armed with a knife and had made suicidal statements.
“We started talking and I could tell he was definitely in distress. He did have knives on him that I was able to secure,” he said. “I bandaged his arm up. We called for an ambulance. You could tell he had lost a lot of blood. There was a lot of blood on him. Once we got him into the ambulance, he actually said ‘don’t let me die’.
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