ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. STAFF DISCIPLINED AFTER DEATH OF MENTAL PATIENT
2. VA. TECH LESSON: WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO HELP
3. STATES FACE DECISIONS ON WHO IS MENTALLY FIT TO VOTE
4. STATE OFFICIAL HONORED FOR HEALTH REFORM EFFORT
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STAFF DISCIPLINED AFTER DEATH OF MENTAL PATIENT
State Human Services officials suspended two psychiatric
hospital nurses yesterday and intend to fire them and punish
five other employees for failing to supervise a patient
in the hours before his death last week. The action marked
the third time in a year that state officials disciplined
workers at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Camden County
following a patient's death. The employees ignored a doctor's
order that the patient receive one-on-one, round-the-clock
supervision after he was admitted the night of June 11.
Read Susan Livio’s report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1182401298205010.xml&coll=1
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VA. TECH LESSON: WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO HELP
As we watch relatives of the Virginia Tech victims try
to contribute to the gathering of facts, states and the
nation should recognize how central families are to preventing
tragedies, as well as to healing and salvation. We need
a national network linking families with law enforcement,
schools and mental health centers, and better information
sharing among them all. Four years ago I helped put a family
member with bipolar disorder in prison. He will probably
hate me for the rest of his days.
Read author Lisa Suhayis’ Washington Post Op Ed piece(free
to register):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR2007061501856_pf.html
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STATES FACE DECISIONS ON WHO IS MENTALLY FIT TO VOTE
A growing number of states are grappling with the question
of who is too mentally impaired to vote. The issue is drawing
attention for two major reasons: increasing efforts by the
mentally ill and their advocates to secure voting rights,
and mounting concern by psychiatrists and others who work
with the elderly about the rights and risks of voting by
people with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and
dementia. This summer, recommendations for national standards
will be released by a group of psychiatrists, lawyers and
others led by the American Bar Association.
Go to the New York Times story (free to register):
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/us/19vote.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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STATE OFFICIAL HONORED FOR HEALTH REFORM EFFORT
Assistant Commissioner of Mental Health Services Kevin
Martone received two awards recently for his efforts to
improve and expand programs that help people throughout
the state with mental illness. Martone, of Pennington, who
took his position in the state division in August 2005,
received the Gov. Codey Mental Health Champion Award from
the National Alliance on Mental Illness and was honored
by the Mental Health Association of Morris County. Martone
received the award named for former Gov. Codey during the
annual convention of the National Alliance on Mental Illness
of New Jersey in Somerset on June 2.
Read more:
http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1181707572285110.xml&coll=5
