ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. NEW LEADER VOWS CHANGE AT ANCORA
2. HEARINGS NEEDED ON STATE HOSPITAL
3. ROBERTS WON'T ALLOW MENTAL HEALTH VOTE
4. BRINGING MENTAL HEALTHCARE TO THE BALLOT
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NEW LEADER VOWS CHANGE AT ANCORA
Imagine you're a patient at the state-run Ancora Psychiatric
Hospital, where under court order and against your will,
you are ordered confined for an indefinite period of time.
Soon, you are assigned to an overcrowded ward with 40 other
patients. At the very least, the state owes these patients
a calm and restful environment, a safe environment, where
they have the best chance of getting well. Instead, statistics
help paint a picture of a facility plagued by overcrowding,
drug abuse and violence, with patients and staff that are
living in "an environment of fear."
Read Alan Guenther's Gannett report:
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/NEWS01/801070338/1002
Codey: Boost security at Ancora psychiatric hospital
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801110336
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HEARINGS NEEDED ON STATE HOSPITAL
Changes made at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow
after the suicide of a patient who was to have been under
watch last month are not sufficient. An investigation by
Press staff writer Alan Guenther that ran in the Sunday
and Monday editions uncovered a living hell, replete with
a history of beatings of staff and patients, widespread
fear, drug and alcohol abuse and negligence.
Read the Asbury Park Press Editorial
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801080317
Read the Asbury Park Press Series:
New leader vows change at Ancora
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/NEWS01/801070338/1002
Ex-patient: Substance abuse at hospital
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801070329
Suit Claims Hospital Workers in Danger
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880107046
Hospital's Overtime Costs Soar
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801110377
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ROBERTS WON'T ALLOW MENTAL HEALTH VOTE
Speaker Joe Roberts, D-Camden, did not allow the Assembly
to vote on a bill that would force health insurers to cover
mental illness and addiction at the same level as other
diseases. The proposal had widespread support with 40 sponsors
and co-sponsors and from at least five government panels.
An identical bill was passed by the Senate.
Efforts to pass Mental Health Parity in New Jersey must
begin again from the start. The parity bill S607 has been
reintroduced in the new legislative session.
Read more in the Courier Post:
http://www.theimpulseonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080103/NEWS01/801030378/1006/NEWS01
The reintroduced Mental Health Parity bill:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/S1000/607_I1.HTM
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BRINGING MENTAL HEALTHCARE TO THE BALLOT
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has sent
a questionnaire to all presidential candidates in each party.
NAMI also encouraged candidates to provide other relevant
materials or explanations of their positions if they did
not have time to respond to our questionnaire. NAMI does
not endorse specific candidates and any materials posted
are intended for educational purposes only.
View the candidates positions on mental health:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=2008_Primaries_and_Elections&Template=/
ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=55411
