ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. GOV.-ELECT TAPS KEVIN RYAN CHIEF OF HUMAN SERVICES
2. BILL REQUIRING MENTAL-HEALTH TREATMENT STALLS
3. MEDICARE CHAOS STRANDS JERSEY'S NEEDY CITIZENS
4. CODEY TO SIGN MENTAL HEALTH EXECUTIVE ORDERS
5. NEW LAW REQUIRES SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION
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GOV.-ELECT TAPS KEVIN RYAN CHIEF OF HUMAN SERVICES
Moving to fill out his cabinet, Gov.-elect Jon Corzine
on Monday renamed an anti-smoking advocate as chief of the
Health and Senior Services Department and tapped the state's
child advocate to head the Human Services Department, which
oversees the state's troubled child welfare agency.
Since 2003, Ryan has headed the state's Office of the Child
Advocate, which monitors state agencies serving children
at risk of abuse or neglect. In addition to monitoring the
state's psychiatric hospitals, overseeing the administration
of Medicaid, welfare and other benefits, Ryan will oversee
the state's Division of Youth and Family Services, which
has been plagued by allegations of mismanagement and is
currently undergoing extensive reform.
Read the AP report:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--corzinecabinet0109jan09,0,5561536.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey
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BILL REQUIRING MENTAL-HEALTH TREATMENT STALLS
Confusion in the wording of the proposal, and the end of
the legislative session, prevented state lawmakers from
advancing a bill that would provide for outpatient commitment
to mental health treatment for individuals who are evaluated
as likely to be dangerous in the reasonably foreseeable
future and who are unwilling to accept voluntary services.
Advocates now await the new legislative session which begins
January 10th at which time it is expected that the bill
will be reintroduced for consideration.
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MEDICARE CHAOS STRANDS JERSEY'S NEEDY CITIZENS
State steps in to cover drug costs
So many low-income New Jersey residents have been unable
to get their medications through the new Medicare drug program
that the state has stepped in and begun paying for prescriptions
on an emergency basis. State officials have spent $2.5 million
since Friday on prescriptions for many of the 140,000 people
on both Medicare and Medicaid, the federal health program
for the poor. Some of these people are disabled, and need
medicines to treat such chronic diseases as diabetes and
mental illness.
Read the Star Ledger Report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1136871838215330.xml&coll=1
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CODEY TO SIGN MENTAL HEALTH EXECUTIVE ORDERS
On Friday, January 13, 2006, Acting Gov. Richard Codey
will visit Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton to sign
three Executive Orders implementing nine more recommendations
of the Governor's Task Force on Mental Health. The event
will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m.
The Executives Orders to be signed will implement recommendations
related to Children's issues, wellness and recovery, and
one authorizing contracted agencies to retain additional
revenue and/or accruals to create and maintain a working
capital improvement fund of up to 10 percent of their annual
operating budget for the purpose of funding capital improvements,
including, but not limited to, information technology infrastructure
and housing.
Directions to Ancora Psychiatric Hospital:
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhs/hospdirections2.htm#ancora
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NEW LAW REQUIRES SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION
The New Jersey Assembly yesterday passed legislation mandating
that the State Board of Education require instruction in
suicide prevention as part of any continuing education which
public school teaching staff members must complete to maintain
their certification; and inclusion of suicide prevention
awareness in the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive
Health and Physical Education.
To Read the Legislation:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2004/Bills/A3500/3931_R2.HTM
