ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. LAWMAKERS URGE DETAILS ON MEDICAID OVERHAUL PLAN
2. TREASURER PROVIDES FEW DETAILS ON  MEDICAID PLAN
3. STANDOFF, SUICIDE HIGHLIGHT STRESS COPS CAN FACE
4. PROGRAM OFFERS VETERANS FREE CONSULTATIONS WITH DOCTORS
5. WHY ONLY $9 MILLION FROM HAGEDORN

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LAWMAKERS URGE DETAILS ON MEDICAID OVERHAUL PLAN

Democratic lawmakers warned state health officials Tuesday to provide specific details of the governor’s plan to overhaul Medicaid or it won’t be considered as part of the state budget. The threats came as the state’s health and human services commissioners spoke before the Assembly Budget Committee. Lawmakers and advocates for the poor were hoping to hear the most detailed explanation of Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to save $300 million from overhauling Medicaid since he first introduced the idea in his budget address February.

See more:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/nj_democratic_lawmakers_urge_h.html

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TREASURER PROVIDES FEW DETAILS ON MEDICAID PLAN

Lawmakers who were hoping to come away from today's budget hearing with a better understanding of Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to overhaul Medicaid may be disappointed. Christie is hoping to save $300 million from overhauling Medicaid through a global waiver from the federal government. The administration has yet to detail how the waiver will change Medicaid, and the public and lawmakers have expressed frustration at the uncertainty in recent weeks.

See the Star Ledger report:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/nj_treasurer_provides_scant_de.html

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STANDOFF, SUICIDE HIGHLIGHT STRESS COPS CAN FACE

Retired Plainfield Police Capt. Mark Edwards was "shocked, but not surprised" when he heard on the radio Monday morning that a veteran Piscataway police officer had been killed after exchanging gunfire with police during a nine-hour standoff at his home.

Police suicide is a phenomenon that only recently has been examined closely on a national level. The study found that a little more than 140 U.S. police officers killed themselves in 2008, a figure that rose slightly in 2009. Both years, New Jersey ranked among the top three states in the nation in police suicides.

New Jersey also is a national leader when it comes to actively working to prevent police suicide. Experts say that it is critical that leaders of police departments everywhere make their officers aware of the availability of help in facing mental health issues.

Read more:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110328/NJNEWS/103280366/0/NJNEWS/Piscataway-standoff-Plainfield-suicide-highlight-overwhelming-stress-cops-can-face?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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PROGRAM OFFERS VETERANS FREE CONSULTATIONS WITH DOCTORS

The 1,500 members of the New Jersey National Guard who have returned from combat over the last 18 months will get the chance to meet with a doctor to discuss coping with the "invisible" wounds of war: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, officials announced today. The program is recruiting doctors who have served in the military themselves and are willing to volunteer their time to meet with service members.

See the full report:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/new_program_offers_nj_veterans.html

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WHY IS THE STATE BANKING ON ONLY $9 MILLION FROM THE CLOSING OF A STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL?
Some legislators were estimating that closing a 310-bed hospital like Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Somerset County – which was the subject of a closure study last year – would bring an expected savings in the tens of millions.

Read More:
http://vip.politickernj.com/46352/budget-ambiguity-9-million-psych-hospital-closure-issue

 

 

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