ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. VIDEO OFFERS TRAINING FOR DEALING WITH MENTALLY ILL
2. HELPING THE MENTALLY ILL AND THEIR FAMILIES
3. HISTORIC MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LAW
4. MEETING IN TRENTON SPOTLIGHTS GREYSTONE
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VIDEO OFFERS TRAINING FOR DEALING WITH MENTALLY ILL
Police officers to learn how to de-escalate situations,
seek action other than arrest
To better protect mentally ill patients who are involved
in situations that require a response by law enforcement
officers, a new training video, "The Community
I Serve," was debuted on Dec. 16 by NAMI NEW
JERSEY.
"The goal is to divert people at the street level to
mental health services… instead of criminalizing behavior,"
said Thomas Garrity Jr., the chief of police in Collingswood
in Camden County. Garrity had already premiered the video
in Atlanta in November at an international CIT conference,
and said it got a "great review." He said the
video should soon be available to every police department
and police academy.
Read the full report:
http://examiner.gmnews.com/news/2008/1218/front_page/036.html
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HELPING THE MENTALLY ILL AND THEIR FAMILIES / TIME TO
ACT
Forty-two other states have some sort of involuntary outpatient
commitment law, reflecting the support such measures have
in the mental-health community. In the past, the New Jersey
Legislature has resisted taking action. But this week, the
Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
unanimously approved such a proposal. The full state Senate
and Assembly should follow the committee's example and make
the legislation law.
Read the Press of Atlantic City editorial:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/146/story/345646.html
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HISTORIC MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LAW
The new mental health parity bill affects insurance coverage
for the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse
for health plans that are regulated by federal law. It says
that, for those plans covering more than 50 employees, mental
illness must be treated under the same terms and conditions
as any other illness.
Read the full Question and Answer interview:
http://physiciansnews.com/spotlight/1208nj.html
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MEETING IN TRENTON SPOTLIGHTS GREYSTONE
Morris contingent seeks answers on site
What's the state to do with an ancient, half-million-square-foot
hospital and some other deteriorating structures on 130
prime acres in the center of Morris County? The answer:
Preserve it as open space or for recreation, as promised,
the county's legislative delegation, representatives of
five Greystone area towns and a busload of local residents
told members of the State House Commission in Trenton.
Read the Star Ledger story:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1229405915219140.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
