Advocacy E-News November 29, 2016
November 29, 2016
TELL CONGRESS YES ON MENTAL HEALTH REFORM!
The Mental Health Reform legislation we have all worked hard on has been added to a bill-the 21st Century Cures Act-that Congress will vote on as early as this week. Adding to our excitement, language supporting CIT, mental health courts and other provisions to reduce the involvement of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system have also been added.
Two ways you can bring Mental Health Reform home
Emailing your members of Congress to vote YES on Mental Health Reform
Supporting NAMI’s national advocacy efforts for bills, like Mental Health Reform
Mental health provisions from H.R. 2646 in the final reform package can be found here.
MENTAL HEALTH FEE FOR SERVICE TRANSITION UPDATE
The New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addictions Services (DMHAS) this week published a newsletter regarding the transition to fee for service as guidelines and procedures are being developed. This newsletter supplements dialogue occurring in various forums with providers and consumers throughout the state. It is intended to share the highlights of DMHAS’ activities and progress.
HOW HEALTH-CARE POLITICS AFFECTS MORE THAN 500,000 IN N.J.
President-elect Donald Trump and many Republicans say they want to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — leaving New Jersey residents and the rest of the nation uncertain about their future health-care coverage. New Jersey expanded its Medicaid coverage to more than 500,000 people through the ACA. Changes to health care and insurance proposed on Trump’s website leave those same people asking questions about future coverage, affordability and a timeline for when they can expect changes to affect them.
Read more in the Press of Atlantic City
MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS, ADVOCATES FIND LACK OF HOUSING OPTIONS
Those suffering from a mental illness can find it very difficult to find housing, putting them at risk of becoming homeless, experts said Monday at a panel hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Atlantic-Cape May chapter. Thousands of New Jersey residents use mental-health services, but some don’t have anywhere to stay during or after treatment. Experts say the demand is greater than the resources, and those coming out of state psychiatric hospitals often get priority.
SOMERSET COUNTY JAIL INMATE’S FAMILY GETS $699K SETTLEMENT
A settlement worth nearly three-quarters of a million dollars was paid to the family of an inmate who died after hanging himself while in custody of Somerset County jail according to an affidavit filed in Somerset County Surrogate’s Court, and was in response to a lawsuit brought against Somerset County, the county jail and Somerset County Sheriff. According to the lawsuit filed by his parents, the man had a history of drug abuse, mental illness and suicide attempts, including three occasions when he was admitted to psychiatric facilities for attempting suicide. The incident report said that his girlfriend told the officer that her aunt had called the jail when Klein was arrested “to advise that he may be suicidal.”
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