ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. STATE BUDGET TAKES SHAPE, CO-PAYS REMOVED
2. ASSEMBLY PANEL APPROVES OUTPATIENT COMMITMENT
3. PREVENTING POLICE SUICIDES IN NEW JERSEY
4. ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS FOR KIDS WIN U.S. PANEL'S BACKING
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STATE BUDGET TAKES SHAPE, CO-PAYS REMOVED
The Legislature's version of Governor Corzine's $28.6 billion
budget was formally introduced Thursday. Budget committees
in the both the Assembly and Senate are scheduled to review
the appropriations bill during meetings planned for today.
Final action on the new budget could occur as early as Thursday.
The Legislature's bill removes the proposal to raise $4.6
million through proposed $2 Medicaid prescription drug co-payments
that was to be capped at $10 monthly. The Legislature eliminated
that proposal. Corzine proposed a similar co- payment schedule
last year, but it was removed by lawmakers in the final
bill.
Read more:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-14/12449523608660.xml&coll=1
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ASSEMBLY PANEL APPROVES OUTPATIENT COMMITMENT
An Assembly committee has cleared a bill that would allow
state officials to force people with a serious mental illness
to attend outpatient treatment if a judge finds they are
a danger to themselves or others. The Assembly Human Services
Committee approved the legislation 8-0 with two abstentions,
in what was likely to be its last public hearing before
it goes to the full Assembly for final legislative approval.
The Senate approved the "involuntary outpatient commitment"
bill in March. Mental health advocates have been split over
the issue since a bill was introduced in 2005. Some advocates
argue forcing people into treatment violates their civil
rights, while others say the bill protects the public and
patients who may be too ill to recognize the severity of
their condition.
Read more:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1244520449178230.xml&coll=1
See the Bill Statement:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/A2000/1618_S1.HTM
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PREVENTING POLICE SUICIDES IN NEW JERSEY
The law enforcement community in New Jersey and nationwide
has long been faced with the troubling issue of officer
suicide, which routinely takes more lives than deaths occurring
in the line of duty. In New Jersey, the suicide rate among
all active law enforcement officers is 30 percent higher
than the rate for all males aged 25 to 64 years. In response
to these statistics, the state Policemen's Benevolent Association
asked for the establishment of a task force. Gov. Jon Corzine
created the Task Force on Police Suicide to examine law
enforcement suicide in New Jersey and develop recommendations
for suicide prevention.
Read the full article:
http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2009/06/preventing_police_suicides_in.html
See the Task Force report:
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/NJPoliceSuicideTFRpt_30Jan2009Final.pdf
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ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS FOR KIDS WIN U.S. PANEL'S BACKING
Antipsychotic drugs should be cleared for children and
teens, even though there is a lack of long-term safety data,
a U.S. panel said. Outside advisers to the Food and Drug
Administration voted today in favor of all five proposals
under consideration to expand use of AstraZeneca's Seroquel,
Pfizer's Geodon and Lilly's Zyprexa for schizophrenia and
bipolar mania. The FDA usually follows its advisers' recommendations,
though it isn't required to do so. Most of the panel members
said the potential for weight gain, changes in heart rate
or other side effects could be addressed in prescribing
information, medication guides for patients and risk-management
programs. The FDA hasn't set a date for acting on the companies'
applications.
Read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ayjsZ.ZEqG9I
