ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. SOME ISSUES ARE BEYOND POLITICS
2. DMHS RELEASES TWO TASK FORCE REPORTS
3. COMBAT'S TRAUMA LASTS
4. FIRST WAVE OF INSURANCE REFORMS GO INTO EFFECT
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SOME ISSUES ARE BEYOND POLITICS
On Aug. 10, one day before the Department of Human Services was to begin a three-year implementation of New Jersey's new involuntary outpatient commitment law, the administration announced that it would indefinitely delay the enactment of legislation that was passed by the Legislature and signed into law last year. The involuntary outpatient commitment law is an issue of importance to every New Jerseyan, and I am very sorry that families who have been directly hurt by untreated mental illness continue to have to relive their tragedies because this law is being ignored.
Read Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle’s Op Ed:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/103810169_An_issue_beyond_politics.html
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DMHS RELEASES TWO TASK FORCE REPORTS
The New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services has released to long awaited Task Force reports. The Acute Care Task Force (ACTF) was convened in January 2008. It was charged with conducting an examination of the existing mental health acute care system, developing a series of recommendations for system improvements.
The New Jersey Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders Task Force (COTF) met from February 2009 through March 2010. The goal of the COTF was to produce a three to five year strategic plan for a co-occurring competent system of care for New Jersey.
To view the reports:
www.naminj.org/TFs.html
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COMBAT'S TRAUMA LASTS
WAR does not end when a soldier comes home. The stress of combat can play out for years after a soldier becomes a veteran. For about 20 percent of war veterans, those experiences can trigger mental illness. New Jersey has recognized that the veterans who come in contact with law enforcement need help, not punishment. And so in a smart move, it began the Veterans Assistance Project to help these veterans by providing counseling, addiction services and other treatments.
Read more:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/103414074_Combat_s_trauma_lasts.html
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FIRST WAVE OF INSURANCE REFORMS GO INTO EFFECT
The first set of consumer protections for health insurance included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (federal health care reform) have gone into effect. These protections include:
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Extending dependent coverage for adult children up to age 26
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Prohibiting denials or limits on coverage or benefits for children under age 19 who have a pre-existing condition.
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Prohibiting lifetime dollar limits on most health insurance benefits, including mental health benefits.
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Bans on canceling ("rescinding") insurance coverage due to honest mistakes or omissions in insurance applications.
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New rights to appeal adverse insurance decisions
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Health_Reform&Template=/
ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=107470
