Advocacy Newsletter --- NAMINJ

ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY :

1. JUNE 14 MENTAL HEALTH RALLY

2. PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL FOR YOUTHS TO BE PHASED OUT BY END OF 2005

3. MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM UNDER FIRE

4. DYFS USES FEDERAL REPORT TO JUSTIFY MORE MONEY

5. WINDFALL MAY REDUCE STATE'S NEED TO BORROW

6. HOUSING UPDATE: THREAT TO SECTION 8 PROGRAM CONTINUES

7. STUDY: SUICIDE IS JERSEY'S 3RD-LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH

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JUNE 14 MENTAL HEALTH RALLY

Save the date for the June 14 Mental Health Rally - Liberty and Justice for All!!! Come to the State House in Trenton on June 14 to rally Governor McGreevey and our Legislators to include more funding in the FY 2005 State Budget to provide more quality services for mental health consumers, help community mental health agencies recruit and retain quality staff and to do away with proposed co-pays for needed psychiatric medications. Now is the time to act! Many local mental health agencies will be providing buses to the rally.

For directions to the State House and Parking:

http://www.njamha.org/index2.htm

2000 Demonstrators Yesterday, 3000 on June 14

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/108572620868650.xml

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PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL FOR YOUTHS TO BE PHASED OUT BY END OF 2005

Regional treatment facilities around state will replace Brisbane

The Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center, New Jersey's only public psychiatric hospital for youths must close by December 2005, according to an agreement state officials reached yesterday with a court-ordered panel monitoring its child welfare services. Gov. James E. McGreevey's administration committed to the Child Welfare Panel's monitoring last June when he settled a class-action, civil rights lawsuit.

Read Susan Livio's report:

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/108572619768650.xml

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MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM UNDER FIRE

Report: Kids' needs are not being met

A program launched four years ago to revolutionize the way children receive publicly subsidized mental health care in New Jersey is not living up to its promise, a child advocacy group says in a report. The Association for Children of New Jersey says children caught up in the state child protection and juvenile justice systems may not be getting all the help they need through The Partnership for Children.

Read the Star Ledger story:

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/108572628268650.xml

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DYFS USES FEDERAL REPORT TO JUSTIFY MORE MONEY

New Jersey 's troubled child-protection agency flunked a federal review, but the man rebuilding the department said Friday the failure proves taxpayers must pay to fix the broken system. "This is a wake-up call," said Human Services Commissioner James Davy. "We expected this. The results are not a surprise. . . . This is why it is important for the Legislature to approve Governor (James E.) McGreevey's budget."

The evaluation was in two parts. The state failed seven of seven "measures of child safety, permanency and well-being." It complied in only one of seven "systematic factors ."

Read the Gannett story:

http://www.app.com/gsbr/story/0,21421,968342,00.html

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WINDFALL MAY REDUCE STATE'S NEED TO BORROW

Some in GOP want McGreevey to scale back plan to sell bonds

Now that the economy is improving and the state budget is enjoying its biggest windfall in six years, some Republican lawmakers are calling on the McGreevey administration to abandon or scale back plans to borrow $1.5 billion to balance the proposed 2005 budget. State officials were jubilant last week when Treasurer John McCormac announced that tax revenues may generate $840 million more over the next 13 months than administration officials projected in February.

Read the full Star Ledger story:

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/108543183120550.xml

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HOUSING UPDATE: THREAT TO SECTION 8 PROGRAM CONTINUES

The HUD Section 8 voucher program – a critical affordable housing resource for low-income people with severe mental illnesses – is currently facing twin challenges that threaten existing rent subsidies in the current fiscal year (FY 2004) and next year (FY 2005). For both this year and next year, decisions being made by HUD and Congress in the coming months will determine whether housing authorities will have sufficient funding to keep rental assistance contacts in place under current rules.

May 28 , 2004