Advocacy E-News September 25, 2017

September 25, 2017

 

ONE THING YOU SHOULD DO WITH YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER NOW!

Most likely, you or someone you know has been negatively affected by the Equifax data breach. That’s because 143 million, nearly half of all Americans, had sensitive data stolen in the breach.

A my Social Security account is your gateway to many SSA online services. Creating your account today will take away the risk of someone else trying to create one in your name, even if they obtain your Social Security number.

Click here to visit the my Social Security account home page

 

GREYSTONE: VIOLENCE, SECURITY PROBED AT TRUSTEE MEETING

The interim CEO of Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital absorbed a litany of angry accusations from staff members during a board of trustees meeting Thursday at the state-run facility. The frequently emotional testimony of doctors, nurses and social workers suggested a vicious cycle of understaffing that has led to security issues, resulting in more staff attrition that has enabled violent patients to assault and intimidate both patients and staff.

Go to the Daily Record story

 

ARE US POLICE TOO QUICK TO SHOOT KNIFE-WIELDING SUSPECTS?

A series of highly publicized police shootings have drawn national attention to so-called officer-involved shootings, but the vast majority of police officers in the US still have little or no training in how to recognize and engage with a suspect suffering from a mental health crisis, or de-escalate a threat from a knife without resorting to a gun. But in places like Camden, NJ they are trying to shift the emphasis. Officers are taught to put an “absolute value on the life of the person they encounter, regardless of what behavior they are exhibiting at the time. Camden police worked with a new approach inspired by officers in Scotland.

See the BBC story

 

LOWERING FINANCIAL BAR FOR PROVIDERS WHO WANT TO PRACTICE IN NJ

Experts agree that New Jersey — like other states across the nation — needs to beef up its healthcare workforce over the years to come. But two state laws signed this summer seek to address these issues by reducing the financial burden on new healthcare providers, with one designed to help those going into mental health services, which are already understaffed in many parts of New Jersey.

Learn more