ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. HAGEDORN HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER IS PLACED UNDER REVIEW
AFTER WRITING LETTER ON CHRISTIE'S PLAN TO CLOSE FACILITY
2. PATIENT ADVOCATE SUSPENDED FOR SPEAKING UP
3. HAGEDORN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL SHOULD BE KEPT OPEN
4. SEE THE "SAVE HAGEDORN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL"
PETITION
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HAGEDORN HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER IS PLACED UNDER REVIEW
AFTER WRITING LETTER ON CHRISTIE'S PLAN TO CLOSE FACILITY
A consultant under contract to the state who worked as
a guardian for 19 elderly and incapacitated patients at
the Lebanon Township hospital, was sent home Friday, and
officials from the Department of Health and Senior Services
say they are investigating whether she misrepresented her
role in the office.
In the March 23 letter to state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren),
Hollander Whitman said "Closing a gero-psychiatric
hospital is just going to shift the problems and costs into
other areas," she wrote. "The problems will remain
and the patients will be hurt in the process."
Read the full story:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/social_worker_from_hagedorn_ho.html
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PATIENT ADVOCATE SUSPENDED FOR SPEAKING UP
The decision by the Department of Health and Senior Services
to suspend a social worker who wrote a letter protesting
the closing of Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital is a troubling
move. It's bound to put a chill into anyone who works for
the state and wants to point out a problem with administration
policy. Department officials have not said what policy the
social worker might have breached. In other words, they
can't say for sure if she even did anything wrong. That
makes taking away her job - and the patients she was speaking
up for - all the more unfortunate.
Read the Star Ledger Editorial:
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/04/patient_advocate_suspended_for.html
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HAGEDORN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL SHOULD BE KEPT OPEN
Hagedorn is the only state hospital that specializes in
the care of geriatric, psychiatric clients. We have been
doing this since the 1970s and we do an excellent job. The
Department of Human Services is planning to close our hospital
by June 30, 2011. This will have a negative effect on patients,
local businesses, neighbors and staff. The vulnerable elderly
psychiatric population served by Hagedorn needs the support
and care that only specialized facilities such as Hagedorn
can provide. Please keep this facility open!
Read the Letter:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/04/hagedorn_psychiatric_hospital.html
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SEE THE "SAVE HAGEDORN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL" PETITION
http://www.gopetition.com/online/35295/signatures.html
