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NAMI NEW JERSEY ADVOCACY E-NEWS
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September 18, 2009
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ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. STATE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST MENTALLY ILL
2. GREYSTONE MONITORING ENDS
3. OFF-LABEL USE OF ANTIPSYCHOTICS COMMON, CONCERNING
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STATE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST MENTALLY ILL, JUDGE RULES
New York State discriminated against thousands of mentally
ill people in New York City by leaving them in privately
run adult homes, which effectively replaced state-run psychiatric
hospitals more than a generation ago but turned out to be
little more than institutions themselves, a federal judge
ruled on Tuesday. The judge, Nicholas G. Garaufis of Federal
District Court in Brooklyn, ruled that the state was violating
the Americans With Disabilities Act by housing more than
4,300 mentally ill people in New York City in more than
two dozen adult homes. He said the residents had little
hope of mingling with anyone in the wider community.
Read the NY Times story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/nyregion/09mental.html
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AFTER 32 YEARS, GREYSTONE MONITORING ENDS
A Greystone monitoring group concluded its court-mandated
watchdog role at the state psychiatric hospital in Parsippany
after three decades yesterday with a warning that patients
will now be more vulnerable to abuse and bureaucratic apathy.
The Doe vs. Klein Monitoring Committee, in its final report
to the courts, said other potential hospital monitors --
without court-approved carte blanche access to the hospital
and patients -- will not be able to duplicate the independent
voice of the committee and adequately protect the rights
of patients.
See Lawrence Ragonese's Star Ledger report:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/index.ssf?/base/news-6/125315791362230.xml&coll=1&thispage
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OFF-LABEL USE OF ANTIPSYCHOTICS COMMON, CONCERNING
New research shows that off-label use of antipsychotics
among a population of US veterans is upward of 60% - a finding
that raises questions about whether this constitutes optimal
care and is an appropriate use of healthcare resources.
A study examining national data from the Department of Veterans
Affairs shows that of 279,778 veterans who received an antipsychotic
medication in the 2007 fiscal year, 162,442 (60.2%) had
no record of a diagnosis for which these drugs were approved.
Read the Medscape article( free to register):
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/708723
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NAMI NEW JERSEY, the State's voice on mental illness, is
a statewide coalition of self-help support and advocacy
groups composed of families and friends of persons with
a serious mental illness. With chapters in all 21 counties
we are New Jersey's largest grassroots organization
dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals
who have a serious mental illness and their families. |
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Please distribute this Alert to other advocates for
improved mental health services in New Jersey.
If you would like to receive NAMI NEW JERSEY Advocacy
Alerts by email, contact Phil Lubitz, Associate Director,
at advocacy@naminj.org
or by phone (732) 940-0991.
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NAMI NEW JERSEY
1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, New Jersey 08902
Phone:732.940.0991 Fax:732.940.0355
E-mail: info@naminj.org
Web Address: www.naminj.org
Copyright © 2009 NAMI NEW JERSEY - All Rights Reserved
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