ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. DRUG CO-PAYMENTS IN CORZINE BUDGET DRAW FIRE
2. A CALL FOR PSYCH WORKERS WHO ARE BETTER QUALIFIED
3. FAMILY SUPPORT ORGANIZATION (FSO) CONTRACTS TO END
4. DVRS TO HOLD PUBLIC FORUMS
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DRUG CO-PAYMENTS IN CORZINE BUDGET DRAW FIRE
Legislature is likely to remove proposed fees for Medicaid
recipients, governor admits
Advocates for New Jersey's Medicaid recipients and AIDS/HIV
patients told lawmakers yesterday the prescription drug
co-payments included in Gov. Jon Corzine's proposed budget
will hurt clients already struggling with a bad economy.
$4.6 million would be raised through proposed $2 Medicaid
prescription drug co-payments, capped at $10 monthly. A
similar co-payment schedule was proposed in Corzine's budget
last year, but it was removed by lawmakers before the final
budget was passed in June.
Read the Star Ledger report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1237954578166950.xml&coll=1
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A CALL FOR PSYCH WORKERS WHO ARE BETTER QUALIFIED
New Jersey's most seriously mentally ill patients living
at public psychiatric hospitals are supervised by workers
who didn't need a college degree or more than a year's worth
of experience to get their jobs, a new report by the state
Public Advocate said Friday.
Public Advocate Ronald Chen called on lawmakers and the
state Department of Human Services to raise the bar on entry-level
job requirements.
"There are virtually no standards for the lowest entry
level position of human services assistant -- which is basically
the gateway into the system," Chen said.
Go to the story:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1238294703271690.xml&coll=1
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FAMILY SUPPORT ORGANIZATION (FSO) CONTRACTS TO END
Beginning, July 1, the Department of Children's Behavioral
Health Services (DCBHS) will no longer contract with Family
Support Organizations (FSO), family-run, county-based organizations
that provide direct family-to-family peer support, education,
advocacy and other services to family members of children
with emotional and behavioral problems. The staff of the
FSO's will be assumed by Care Management Organizations (CMO's),
agencies that provide a full range of treatment and support
services to children with the most complex needs.
Read the DCBHS Announcement:
http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/behavioral/FSOltr_3_23_09.pdf
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THE NEW JERSEY DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES
PRESENT THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC FORUMS
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS)
helps individuals with disabilities that are having trouble
finding or holding a job because of their disability. DVRS
will hold for forums to take public comment.
See the Forum schedule:
http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/dvrs/content/Public%20Forum%20Web%20Posting%202009.doc
