ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. LEGISLATORS CRITICAL OF HUMAN SERVICES
2. STUN GUNS GET BOOST BEFORE PANEL
3. JERSEY STOPS SENDING YOUTHS TO PA. FACILITIES
4. NJ'S NONPROFIT AGENCIES WORRY OVER STATE BUDGET CRISIS
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LEGISLATORS CRITICAL OF HUMAN SERVICES
Action sought on hospital, housing logjam
Members of the Assembly Budget Committee yesterday demanded
top Human Services officials devise more ambitious plans
to make New Jersey's largest and most troubled psychiatric
hospital safer and reduce the seemingly infinite waiting
lists of disabled people in need of housing. They also criticized
Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez for moving too
slowly to shrink the population of 2,100 patients at the
five psychiatric hospitals and 3,000 residents at the seven
developmental centers.
Read Susan Livio's Star Ledger report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1210135035247870.xml&coll=1
View the New Jersey Network Report:
http://www.njn.net/television/webcast/njnnewstuesday.html
Listen to the Assembly Budget Committee Hearing
http://rmserver.njleg.state.nj.us/internet/2008/ABUB/0506-0930AM-1.wma
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STUN GUNS GET BOOST BEFORE PANEL
But victim advocates fear abuse if authorities employ the
devices
Elaine Goodman of the New Jersey chapter of the National
Alliance on Mental Illness said she supports the use of
stun guns as long as the state crafts a clear policy and
it requires officers to be trained to dealing with the mentally
ill. Otherwise, she warned, officers may use stun guns as
"a short cut to defusing a situation that could better
be resolved with talk, time and understanding."
Read the Rick Hepp's full Star Ledger Report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1210221410159820.xml&coll=1
See NAMI NJ's Elaine Goodman on New Jersey Network
http://www.njn.net/television/webcast/njnnewswednesday.html
(03:54)
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JERSEY STOPS SENDING YOUTHS TO PA. FACILITIES
New Jersey children with serious behavioral problems will
not be sent to a Pennsylvania company's residential facilities
following the overdose of two teenagers, a state Department
of Children and Families spokeswoman confirmed yesterday.
The state is banning new admissions to KidsPeace, one of
the nation's largest national nonprofit providers of mental
health care for children. The 107 kids from New Jersey already
living at KidsPeace's numerous Pennsylvania programs will
remain where they are.
Read more:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1209703043224830.xml&coll=1
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NJ'S NONPROFIT AGENCIES WORRY OVER STATE BUDGET CRISIS
As New Jersey struggles to balance its budget, nonprofits
and the people they serveare agonizing over Gov. Jon S.
Corzine's plan to deny them a funding increase come July.
With rising costs for fuel, food and other expenses, they
say they'll struggle to keep serving residents. The state's
nonprofit human service agencies are asking legislators
to increase funding by 3.6 percent increase to at least
keep pace with inflation in order to provide care to about
500,000 people with developmental disabilities and mental
illnesses. The state would save $42.4 million by not providing
an increase to the nonprofits during next fiscal year, which
starts July 1.
Read more:
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-31/1209269960183470.xml&storylist=jersey
