Additional Articles from Around the Nation - NAMI

Transcription

Attachment to January newsletter
Additional articles, links, videos, etc. from around the Nation
The Kansas City Star: Three Years After Sandy Hook, Mental Health Overhaul Remains Stubbornly Out Of Reach
Nearly three years after a deeply disturbed man killed 26 children and adults at an elementary school in Connecticut,
Congress is still struggling to reform the nation’s system for diagnosing and treating mental illness. A major mental
health overhaul bill offered in the weeks following the shootings still sits in a House committee, hamstrung by
opposition from some mental health treatment experts, privacy advocates and legislators. Similar comprehensive
mental health bills have languished since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, frustrating the mental health
community and some politicians. (Helling, 11/27)
Politico: Mental Health Bill Collides With Guns — Again
The spate of mass killings over the past year reignited mental health reform efforts in both chambers of Congress. A
bipartisan bill is gaining momentum in the Senate, with the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions likely
to take it up early next year. The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health recently approved a similar bill,
and Speaker Paul Ryan this month said on “60 Minutes” that he wants Congress to move ahead on mental health. But
the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, has been working behind the scenes to drum up support for his
own mental health legislation, which includes language endorsed by the National Rifle Association. (Ehley, 11/29)
Des Moines Register: Judge Recommends Throwing Out 1 Of 4 Medicaid Contracts
An administrative law judge has recommended that Iowa throw out one of the four contracts awarded to for-profit
companies that are in line to manage Iowa’s Medicaid program. The ruling calls for the state to reverse the contract
awarded to WellCare, a company that has faced millions of dollars in fines for fraud or mismanagement in other states
and last year saw three former executives sentenced to prison for fraud convictions. (Clayworth, 11/26)
Des Moines Register: Concerns Over Medicaid Plan Are Justified
Perhaps the most maddening aspect of Gov. Terry Branstad’s ill-conceived and poorly executed rush to privatize the
Medicaid program is the manner in which he and the private contractors he has hired to take over the program dismiss
the concerns of others. We understand that some people fear change, they tut. We understand some people are afraid
of things that are new and different, they cluck. These reproachful, condescending responses to legitimate, justifiable
concerns over the health and welfare of more than half a million low-income and disabled Medicaid beneficiaries
demonstrate just how little regard the Branstad administration has for the people of Iowa, only 22 percent of whom
support his privatization plan, according to an Iowa Poll in April. (11/28)
The Washington Post: The Problem With Obamacare’s Mental-Health ‘Parity’ Measure
Obamacare expanded health insurance to millions of Americans. But what good is insurance if there are no doctors
available to treat them? This month, I found out, first hand. I saw a woman falling through the cracks of the new healthcare system, and I tried to help her. ... Obamacare provides mental-health “parity,” meaning mental health is covered as
well as any other condition — in theory, an important advance. But in practice, parity was meaningless for Isabella. She
is enrolled in one of the CareFirst BlueCross plans from the Obamacare exchange, but when my friend and I searched for
psychiatrists within 30 miles of Washington who took her plan, the CareFirst Web site returned none. (Dana Milbank,
11/27)
A Worthy Experiment – Care Instead of Jail – The News Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article45664347.html
The Des Moines Register: Senators Question Moving Ahead With Medicaid Privatization
Two Democratic senators are questioning Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's plans to press forward with privatizing
management of the state's Medicaid program after a judge's recommendation this week to throw out a contract
awarded to one of four companies in line to manage the program. Iowa Administrative Law Judge Christie Scase on
Wednesday recommended that Iowa throw out the contract awarded to WellCare, one of the for-profit companies hired
to manage Iowa’s annual $4.2 billion Medicaid plan starting Jan. 1. Scase made the recommendation after reviewing and
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hearing the objections of three companies that are challenging the Iowa Department of Human Service’s competitive
bidding process to award the contracts. The companies mounting the challenge — Aetna, Meridian and Iowa Total Care
— say the selection process was unfair. (Clayworth, 11/28)
Iowa PublicRadio: Despite Ruling, Branstad Says Medicaid Privatization Still Set for January 1st
Gov. Terry Branstad says the state will move forward as planned with the January 1st deadline for Medicaid privatization
in Iowa. That’s despite last week’s recommendation from Administrative Law Judge Christie Scase that the state dismiss
one of four contracts it awarded to for-profit companies to manage Iowa’s Medicaid programs. (Boden, 11/30)
Des Moines Register: Branstad: No Reason To Delay Medicaid Privatization
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday that an administrative law judge's recommendation to throw out one of the
state's four managed care contracts is no reason to slow the move to Medicaid privatization. He said he has appointed
Iowa Department of Administrative Services Director Janet Phipps to decide whether to follow the judge's
recommendation or to move forward as planned. (Pfannenstiel, 11/30)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: More Resources Needed For Pediatric Mental Health Emergencies
All the perpetrators in the Columbine High school shooting in 1999, the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, and the
Newtown Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 suffered from mental illness. Events similar to these have led
to increased awareness of the disastrous consequences of untreated depression, suicidality, and aggression among
adolescents and young adults. As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in youth presenting to the ED for
psychiatric care. ... Unfortunately, most EDs which carry this burden are unprepared and unsupported to meet this
demand. (Hazel Guinto-Ocampo, 11/30)
The New York Times: Paul Ryan Pushes Changes In Mental Health Care After Colorado Shooting
While Democrats made it clear they believed that Republicans were avoiding the real problem — lax restrictions on
access to guns — Mr. Ryan encouraged lawmakers from both parties to present their ideas to address the problems with
mental health care. He expressed support for an ambitious proposal that would make major changes to the mental
health care system. The bill would, among other steps, create an assistant secretary post in the Department of Health
and Human Services to coordinate the government’s approach and remedy a shortage of beds in psychiatric hospitals.
(Huetteman and Perez-Pena, 12/1)
The Washington Post: Ryan’s Nod Could Get Mental Health Legislation Moving
Congressional Republicans have frequently pointed to mental health in their responses to mass shootings, but Ryan and
McCarthy’s remarks this week were notable in their endorsement of a specific piece of legislation — one that had
seemed to be gaining bipartisan support earlier this year. “The common theme with these kinds of shootings is mental
illness, and this is something that we should not be ignoring,” Ryan said. “Congressman Murphy has a very
comprehensive effort underway. He’s put years into this, and that is why we want to see this process all the way
through, and this is something that requires our attention.” (DeBonis, 12/1)
USA Today: GOP Focuses On Mental Health After Colo. Shooting
Murphy's bill — which has had some Democratic support — would also reduce barriers for caregivers to provide
information with parents or guardians of their patients, and would boost support for "assisted outpatient treatment" for
patients with severe mental illness. AOT is basically a court-ordered treatment regimen, with court-imposed penalties
for non-compliance. Mental illness causes tens of thousands of death a year through suicide, drug overdoses, and a
range of ailments that afflict homeless people with mental illness, Murphy told USA TODAY Tuesday. (Singer, 12/1)
The Wall Street Journal: Ryan Calls for Mental-Health Overhaul After Planned Parenthood Shooting
Mr. Murphy said his bill would enable those with mental illness to receive treatment sooner, making them less likely to
become engaged in violent acts. “For those with mental illness, what we ought to be doing is treating the mental illness
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instead of responding to the crime,” he said in an interview Tuesday. Democrats have called for new gun-control
measures and urged Republicans to change their tone against the women’s health organization. (Peterson, 12/1)
The Associated Press: NY Adds Tax Check-Offs On Mental Illness, Women's Cancers
New York taxpayers will have the option of contributing to 13 causes next year that will include educational efforts to
prevent women's cancers and against the stigma of mental illness. At the same time, another new state law will
generally require spending contributions in the fiscal year they're collected, meant to stop leaving millions of donated
dollars languishing as the state comptroller found in a report almost two years ago. (12/1)
— In 336 days this year, there have been 355 mass shootings. (Washington Post)
Overwhelming Majority of States Allow Youth to be
Housed in Adult Prisons
1,200 Youth Are in State Prisons on Any Given Day Across the Country
Link To Full Report
Link To Executive Summary
Hours before San Bernardino shooting, doctors urged Congress to life funding ban on gun violence research
Preliminary reports from the San Bernardino police chief: 14 dead and 17 injured
By Brady Dennis Read more »
Democrats, doctors say mass shootings need public health approach
A group of physicians had asked lawmakers just hours before Wednesday's mass shooting in California to allow the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to once again research gun violence. READ MORE
The Des Moines Register: Three Large Hospital Systems Sign Medicaid Contracts
Three of Iowa’s biggest hospital-and-clinic systems have signed contracts to provide care to patients who will be
enrolled in new Medicaid managed-care programs, Gov. Terry Branstad’s office announced Thursday. UnityPoint Health,
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the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Genesis Health System all have signed such contracts, Branstad said. The
news comes amid concern that Medicaid patients would have few choices of health care providers when the new
system is to take effect Jan. 1. (Leys, 12/3)
"Fraud, Waste, and Excess Profits"
“Between 10 and 20 percent of state mental health funds are being lost to fraud, waste and excess profits to for-profit
managed care companies,” writes Dr. E. Fuller Torrey in the November issue of Psychiatric Times. “This loss is important
because even $4 billion, if it was not being lost, could buy three months of hospitalization for 112,000 people, 1 year of
supportive housing for 335,000 people, or 1 year of clozapine treatment for 667,000 people.” READ IT ALL...
"House Leadership Calls for Passage of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act"
Mental health reform will be at the top of the 2016 agenda, House Speaker Paul Ryan said today in an interview with
"CBS This Morning." “The Treatment Advocacy Center commends Speaker Ryan for addressing our nation’s mental
health crisis," said Executive Director John Snook. "The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act would revamp the
country's mental health system and ensure people with severe mental illness and their families receive the care they
need." READ IT ALL...
"RESEARCH WEEKLY: The Why and Who of RAISE"
With recent mass media coverage, the NIMH’s seven-year-old Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode project –
RAISE, for short – has gone mainstream, not necessarily with all its details intact. In the first of two reports, Research
Weekly highlights the more precise reporting in a special section on RAISE and other early-intervention services
published in the July issue of Psychiatric Services. READ IT ALL...
College Campaign De-stigmatizes Mental Health http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/2015/12/04/college-campaigndestigmatizes-mental-health/
Why Australia Bit The Bullet & Pulled The Trigger On Gun Control
Australia is typically seen as a rough country, filled with crocodile hunters and deadly animals at every turn. It might be
assumed that this down-under country would side with pro-gun groups in the wake of the shooting. Prior to 1996 they
might have, but after a mass shooting Australia came down on their gun laws and coordinated the buyback of over
600,000 firearms. In today’s gun market, individuals are prohibited from private sales, each gun must be registered to its
owner for a “genuine reason.” This reason does not include self-defense. The results were immediate. Over the next 11 .
...
2. Oakland Minister Stripping Away Church’s Knowledge-Gap On Mental Health
Rev. Donna Allen of the New Revelation Community Church sees a strong need among her congregants for help
recognizing and dealing with mental health problems. (Leila Day, 12/7)
News Service Of Florida: Lawmakers Look To Divert Mentally Ill From Criminal Justice System
A House panel on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill aimed at keeping Floridians with mental illnesses out of the
criminal-justice system. The House Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee supported the measure, filed by Rep.
Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, that would create a statewide framework for counties to offer treatment-based
mental health courts. Many counties have mental-health courts, but they have varying eligibility and program
requirements. (Menzel, 12/3)
The Columbus Dispatch: Suicide Solutions Lack Money
Top state and federal leaders in Ohio say much work is needed to combat a largely hushed public-health crisis: suicide.
The Dispatch explored suicide’s toll in a six-day series, “Silent Suffering,” published Nov. 17-22. Those stories, available
online at Dispatch.com/suicide, detail a mental-health-care system that doesn’t have the money or resources it needs to
combat this growing problem. Suicide-prevention experts offered solutions, but many require that all levels of
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government — local, state and federal — invest in the solutions to save lives. (Riepenhoff, Wagner, Kurtzman and
Rowland, 12/6)
Waivers are new battlefront in Republican-led states that expanded Medicaid
Providers, patients and lawmakers in Arizona and Iowa are urging the CMS to reject Medicaid changes proposed by
Republicans. But in Michigan, the same array of stakeholders wants the CMS to allow conservative provisions to save the
state's Medicaid expansion. READ MORE
Des Moines Register: Iowa Asks Out-Of-Staters To Tout Benefits Of Privatized Medicaid
The Iowa Department of Human Services tried to put a positive face on Medicaid privatization Monday, asking each of
the companies it has contracted with to bring out-of-state residents to tout their experiences to Iowa lawmakers. "Who
better for lawmakers to hear from than people who have received coverage from these very companies and
experienced first-hand managed care addressing their complex needs?" asked department spokeswoman Amy
Lorentzen McCoy. The travel costs were paid by the companies and not the state, Lorentzen McCoy said. (Clayworth,
12/7)
The Washington Post: Three Years After Sandy Hook, More States Cut Mental Health Funding
Three years after the Sandy Hook mass shooting prompted public demands for mental health care reform, an increasing
number of states have cut funding for mental health services, according to a report released Tuesday by a mental health
advocacy group. The report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness said only 23 states increased mental health
spending in 2015, compared to 36 states in 2013 and 29 in 2014. (Sun, 12/8)
The Associated Press: Report: Connecticut Boosted Mental Health Funding In 3 Years
Connecticut is one of 11 states that have increased funding for mental health care every year since the 2012 mass
shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to a new national report. The report released Tuesday also lauds
the state for passing legislation that clarifies individual health plans must cover "nervous conditions" and school-based
health programs include screening for behavioral or disciplinary problems. (Haigh, 12/6)
Back on Skid Row with Nathaniel Ayers: A Chorus of Hallelujahs for ‘Messiah’ http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1209-lopez-homeless-messiah-20151208-column.html
Despite deaths, most states not boosting mental health funding
Two reports out this week show how state governments are putting mentally ill citizens in danger. A report from the
Treatment Advocacy Center found that at least 1 in 4 fatal police encounters involves the death of a person with a
severe mental illness. READ MORE
New style of police training aims to produce ‘guardians, ‘not warriors’
Gone are the military-boot-camp atmosphere and the field exercises focused on using fists and weapons to batter
suspects into submission. For the past three years, every police recruit in Washington state has undergone new training
that emphasizes techniques to de-escalate conflict situations.
By Kimberly Kindy • Read more »
USA Today: People With Mental Illness 16 Times More Likely To Be Killed By Police
About one in four fatal police encounters involves someone with mental illness, according to the report, released
Thursday by the Virginia-based Treatment Advocacy Center, which focuses on the needs of people with serious mental
illness. The problem stems from a lack of police training, as well as a lack of treatment for those with serious mental
illness, the report's co-author says. (Szabo, 12/10)
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Iowa Public Radio: United Healthcare Leads In Signing Iowa Medicaid Providers
Iowa’s Department of Human Services says United Healthcare has signed the most Medicaid providers of the four
private Managed Care Organizations that are slated to take over management of the state’s Medicaid system on Jan. 1.
United Healthcare has signed almost 66 percent of the state’s nearly 30,000 Medicaid providers, Amerigroup has signed
57 percent, WellCare 50 percent, and AmeriHealth Caritas 43 percent. (Boden, 12/9)
Sioux City (Iowa) Journal: Local Physicians Waiting To Sign Medicaid Contacts With Managed Care Organizations
Don Dew, a Medicaid beneficiary, received a packet in the mail informing him he had been assigned to one of the four
managed care organizations (MCOs) hired by the state of Iowa to help run its Medicaid program. Dew, who has epilepsy,
doesn't know if the neurologist he's been seeing in Dakota Dunes will be included in his MCOs provider network. "It
could be a real possibility that instead of going seven miles up to South Dakota for a neurologist, I would actually have to
go to Iowa City," he said. Siouxland patients and health care providers are grappling with the implications of Medicaid
modernization just weeks before the state plans to shift management of its Medicaid program to four private, out-ofstate, for-profit health care companies. (Butz, 12/10)
Health News Florida: A Conversation About Florida’s Troubled Mental Hospitals: “Insane. Invisible. In Danger.”
Florida legislators have cut $100 million from the state’s mental health budget since 2009 — and now an investigative
series, “Insane. Invisible. In Danger.” by two Florida newspapers details how those cuts have put patients and staff in
harm’s way. Health News Florida spoke with the Tampa Bay Times’ Leonora LaPeter Anton, one of the reporters who
spent more than a year looking into Florida’s mental hospitals. You can hear the conversation about what this has meant
for patients in these facilities here. (Mack, 12/9)
Pacific Standard: State Of Emergency
This was the third time I had seen him this month alone. It was the same story as before; he was hospitalized and
provided a short supply of medication at discharge. Now, he was back in the emergency department, intoxicated, talking
to himself, and disheveled. He tells us he drinks to quiet the voices, a common story. Self-medicating with drugs and
alcohol to “smooth out the rough spots” or “quiet the voices,” is not uncommon for people without access to
appropriate mental health services. (Amy Kontrick, 12/8)
3. Medical Training So Dark Many Students Depict Supervisors As Monsters – Literally
Studies find many medical students and residents often are so traumatized by training experiences they test positive for
depression. (Julie Rovner, 12/8)
Iowa Public Radio: Path Unclear For Iowa's Medicaid Privitization
The Department of Human Services says it is not sure exactly how many of the nearly 30,000 Medicaid providers in Iowa
have signed with at least one of the four for-profit companies that will take over Iowa’s Medicaid management on Jan.
1. This lack of information was one of the points Democrats used in a failed effort to delay the transition during
Monday's Health Policy Oversight Committee meeting. (Boden, 12/8)
Des Moines Register: UI Hospitals Give Mixed Messages On Medicaid Contracts
University of Iowa Hospitals employees continued to tell patients Tuesday that their organization had not yet signed
contracts with any Medicaid managed care companies, five days after the governor announced that UI had done so. Two
Medicaid recipients contacted the Des Moines Register on Tuesday expressing confusion about the matter. They had
read in the newspaper that their hospital and clinic system had signed contracts to provide care to people covered by
two of the four managed care companies that soon are to start running Iowa’s Medicaid program. (Leys, 12/8)
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Despite deaths, most states not boosting mental health funding
Two reports out this week show how state governments are putting mentally ill citizens in danger. A report from the
Treatment Advocacy Center found that at least 1 in 4 fatal police encounters involves the death of a person with a
severe mental illness. READ MORE
Sen. Franken’s Bipartisan Measure to Combat Mental Health Crisis in Criminal Justice System Clears Senate, is One
Step Closer to Becoming Law: https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3336
U.S. Senate Passes the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act: https://csgjusticecenter.org/jc/u-s-senatepasses-the-comprehensive-justice-and-mental-health-act/
Senate Clears Bill to Enhance Mental Health Assistance for Incarcerated Individuals:
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-clears-bill-enhance-mental-health-assistanceincarcerated-individuals
Iowa’s Radical Privatization of Medicaid is already Struggling https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/iowasradical-privatization-of-medicaid-is-already-failing/2015/12/11/58b21362-a01b-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html
Hospitals Ask Judge to Delay Medicaid Privatization
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2015/12/11/hospitals-ask-judge-delay-medicaidprivatization/77175490/
Des Moines Register: Branstad Appointee Declines To Freeze Medicaid Plan
Iowa Department of Administrative Services Director Janet Phipps on Tuesday rejected a request from Aetna, one of the
unsuccessful bidders for the lucrative state contract, to immediately freeze the state’s effort to privatize Medicaid on
Jan. 1. (Clayworth, 12/10)
Reuters: U.S. Mentally Ill 16 Times More Likely To Be Killed By Police: Study
Americans with severe mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by police than other civilians, a study by an
advocacy group said on Thursday. Official and unofficial accounts of the hundreds of Americans killed yearly in
encounters with police show that at least a quarter of those slain are severely mentally ill, the report by the nonprofit
Treatment Advocacy Center said. (12/10)
Iowa Public Radio: Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Assess Iowa's Readiness For Medicaid Privitization
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is in Iowa this week assessing the state’s readiness to transition the
management of Iowa’s Medicaid program into the hands of four private companies on Jan. 1. Critics say the process has
been unorganized and rushed, and many Medicaid recipients complain they don’t have enough information to
determine which, if any, of the Managed Care Organizations best fits their coverage needs. (Boden, 12/10)
Marketplace: Mental Health Services Are Paying Off In California
As college campuses nationwide try and cope with increased demand for mental health services, one study found the
investment is paying off for California. The RAND Corporation looked at the effects of investment in prevention and early
intervention treatment at California public colleges over about a year and a half. The study, released Thursday, predicts
a $56 million "societal benefit" from annual California Mental Health Services Authority funds averaging $8.7 million a
year. RAND arrived at the figure using data on lifetime earnings for California college graduates compared to those who
drop out. (Wagner, 12/10)
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"How Can We Fix Our Mental Health Care System?" - guest commentary
"I am writing about a very private topic — mental illness," writes mother Linsay Locke in the Santa Fe New Mexican. "For
centuries it carried great shame, and it still carries a deep stigma. I know it intimately. My son has suffered from
schizophrenia for a quarter century. At his core he is intelligent, exceptionally creative and a giving and loving human
being, yet the inner voices prevent him from functioning in society." READ IT ALL...
"Another Death Confirms Criminalization of Mental Illness has Reached Crisis Levels"
Michael Lee Marshall - a Denver jail inmate with severe mental illness - died last month after he was removed from life
support following an altercation with deputies. Marshall's death adds to a slew of mentally ill inmates who have died in
jails and prisons across the country this year. How many more deaths is it going to take before those in power recognize
it is beyond time to reject criminalization as an acceptable substitute for proper mental health care? READ IT ALL...
"People with Untreated Mental Illness 16 Times More Likely to be Killed by Police"
People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians
approached or stopped by law enforcement, according to our new study. “Overlooked in the Undercounted: The Role of
Mental Illness in Fatal Law Enforcement Encounters” urges lawmakers to reduce loss of life and the many social costs
associated with police shootings by enacting public policies that will restore the mental health system so that individuals
with severe mental illness are not left to deteriorate until their actions provoke a police response. READ IT ALL...
"RESEARCH WEEKLY: How RAISE Models Work in Early Psychosis (Part 2)"
The goal of the NIMH-funded project called RAISE – Recovery After Initial Schizophrenic Episode – was to develop and
test a “real world” early-intervention approach that would work in the fragmented US health care system to change the
course and prognosis of psychotic disorders. Other countries had been using coordinated first-episode models with good
results for decades. Could the US replicate their results with its far-flung, multi-payer system? READ IT ALL...
Iowa’s radical privatization of Medicaid By Dana Milbank Read more »
Three Years After Sandy Hook, More States Cut Mental Health Funding https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/toyour-health/wp/2015/12/08/three-years-after-sandy-hook-more-states-cut-mental-health-funding/
Skip residency? State efforts to ease doctor shortage face criticism
A new Missouri law offered a first-of-its-kind solution to the physician shortage plaguing thousands of U.S. communities:
Medical school graduates could start treating patients immediately, without wading through years of traditional
residency programs. READ MORE
At University of North Texas, an ax-wielding student is fatally shot by police
What made a mild-mannered student known as "Charlie Brown" go berserk? And did a campus police officer have to kill
him? By Michael E. Miller • Read more »
The Des Moines Register: Hospitals Ask Judge To Delay Medicaid Privatization
A Polk County judge heard pleas from Iowa hospitals Friday to delay the state’s shift to private management of its
Medicaid program. But a lawyer for Gov. Terry Branstad urged the judge to leave the decision to federal experts, who
are determining if the state is ready to take the privatization plunge on Jan. 1. Judge Robert Hanson must decide
whether to grant an injunction requested by the Iowa Hospital Association, which says Branstad’s plan is rushed and
illegal. (Leys, 12/11)
Des Moines Register: Iowans Warned: Medicaid Patients May Lose Doctors
At least one health care provider is warning patients that Iowa's plan to switch to privatized Medicaid management may
force them to find new doctors. And the state last week acknowledged the possibility after the Hematology & Oncology
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Center of Iowa distributed fliers warning its patients of the possibility. That’s because Iowa has contracted with four
separate corporations that will work like insurance companies to oversee management of the 560,000 poor and disabled
Iowans on the program, which is slated to launch on Jan. 1. People with multiple doctors may find that some of their
current physicians haven’t contracted with and won’t accept some — or even any — of the four insurers. (Clayworth,
12/14)
The Associated Press: Delays, Criticism Hampering Laws To Remedy Physician Shortage
A new Missouri law offered a first-of-its-kind solution to the physician shortage plaguing thousands of U.S. communities:
Medical school graduates could start treating patients immediately, without wading through years of traditional
residency programs. Following Missouri's lead, similar measures were enacted in Arkansas and Kansas and considered in
Oklahoma. The idea appeared to be a new model for delivering medical care in regions with too few physicians to meet
needs. Yet more than 18 months after that first law passed, Missouri regulators are still trying to make it work. And not a
single new doctor has gone into practice in any of the three states as a result of the new laws. (Lieb, 12/13)
The Washington Post: Iowa’s Radical Privatization Of Medicaid Is Already Struggling
On Jan. 1, 31 days before Iowa caucus-goers cast the first votes of the 2016 presidential race, the state will gain another
national distinction, but of a dubious variety: It plans to launch the most sweeping and radical privatization of Medicaid
ever attempted. (Dana Milbank, 12/11)
The New York Times: To Reduce Suicides, Keep The Guns Away
As Americans debate how the country should respond to gun violence, they should not lose sight of the biggest category
of firearm deaths: suicides. About two-thirds of people killed by guns, or 20,000 a year, kill themselves. The rate at
which Americans commit suicide with guns has been increasing for several years, even as the rate of gun homicides has
declined. Research shows that the increase is correlated with higher gun ownership. (12/14)
U.S. Senate Passes the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act
Parish ‘Stepping Up’ with Program that Helps Mentally Ill behind Bars
American Press–Dec. 5 | Louisiana
Mothers, Experts Plead for Oversight of NY Prison System
Press Connects–Dec. 2 | New York
Lawmakers Push Corrections Reform for Mentally Ill Inmates
Vermont Public Radio–Nov. 24 | Vermont
Peers Key to Recovery for Georgians with Mental Illness
Atlanta Journal Constitution–Nov. 24 | Georgia
Lawsuit Seeks More Help for Mentally Ill Jail Inmates
KPCC–Nov. 23 | California
A Worthy Experiment: Care Instead of Jail
News Tribune–Nov. 21 | Washington
Report Recommends Police Reform Mental Health Policies
Texas Tribune–Nov. 17 | Texas
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Most People in Federal Prison for Drug Offenses Have No Serious Criminal History
Vox–Nov. 13 | National
Indiana Program to Get Offenders Treatment, Not Prison Cell
Associated Press–Nov. 8 | Indiana
The Calming of Incarcerated Minds
Governing–Nov. 5 | National
States Look for Help with Bilingual Mental Health
Stateline–Nov. 4 | National
Kaiser Health News: Mental Health Courts Are Popular But Effectiveness Is Still Unproven
Mental health courts are popular in many communities, and it’s easy to understand why. ... But research is still scanty on
the courts’ effectiveness at addressing offenders’ mental health problems or discouraging offenders from relapsing into
criminal behavior. (Andrews, 12/15)
The Associated Press: Mental Health Care Would Curb Violence, Some At Hearing Say
A gun club owner and a gun dealer are among those telling a congressman Monday that closing loopholes in federal
background checks and increasing mental health help would reduce gun violence. California U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson,
chairman of House Democrats’ Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, held the hearing less than two weeks after 14
people were fatally shot in San Bernardino. (Thompson, 12/14)
The St. Louis Post Dispatch: BJC Decision TO Close Psychiatric Unit Hits St. Francois County
Soon there will be a gaping hole in hospital psychiatric services in St. Francois County, about 70 miles south of St. Louis.
No acute adult psychiatric beds will exist in this county of 66,000 people after BJC HealthCare closes an in-patient facility
at the former Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Mo. (Liss, 12/14)
ProPublica: Profit, Abuse At Homes For Profoundly Disabled
Three years ago, it looked like the Florida agency that oversees care for children and adults with disabilities had finally
had enough. It filed a legal complaint that outlined horrific abuse at Carlton Palms, a rambling campus of group homes
and classrooms near the small town of Mount Dora. A man called “R.G.” was punched in the stomach, kicked and told
“shut your f-ing mouth,” the complaint said. “R.T.” was left with a face full of bruises after a worker hit him with a belt
wrapped around his fist. A child, “D.K.,” who refused to lie face down so he could be restrained, was kicked in the face
and choked until, eyes bulging, he nearly passed out. (Vogell, 12/15)
Des Moines Register: Mercy System Signs Medicaid Managed-Care Contract
A fourth major hospital and clinic system signed contracts with managed-care companies that are supposed to start
running Iowa’s Medicaid program soon, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. Mercy Health Network has signed
contracts with WellCare and AmeriHealth Caritas, state officials said. Mercy joins the Genesis, University of Iowa and
UnityPoint systems, which Gov. Terry Branstad announced Dec. 3 had signed contracts with for-profit managed-care
companies. (Leys, 12/15)
The New York Times: Don’t Blame Mental Illness For Gun Violence
Those who oppose expanded gun-control legislation frequently argue that instead of limiting access to guns, the country
should focus on mental health problems. But mass shootings represent a small percentage of all gun violence, and
mental illness is not a factor in most violent acts. (Editorial Board, 12/15)
Page 10 of 12
Des Moines Register: Reinvest In The Promise Of Medical Research
Seventeen years ago, Democrats and Republicans in Congress made a promise to the American people. We would invest
in our nation’s brightest minds. We would spur medical innovation. And, most important, we would find treatments and
cures for the diseases that devastate families and debilitate our economy. Congress fulfilled that promise by doubling
funding for the National Institutes of Health over five years between 1998 and 2003. Begun during the Clinton
administration and completed under President George W. Bush, this was a bipartisan, bicameral achievement with few
equals in our recent history. (Tom Harkin and John Porter, 12/15)
Stop Locking Up People with Mental Illness http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-rosenberg/stop-locking-up-thementa_b_8771132.html
Guns are now killing as many people as cars in the U.S.
For the first time in more than 60 years, firearms and automobiles are killing Americans at an identical rate, according to
new mortality data released by the government. By Christopher Ingraham • Read more »
Des Moines Register: Feds Tell Iowa: Delay Medicaid Privatization By 60 Days
The governor says the shift would save money and provide more flexible benefits. But federal officials have heard from
hundreds of Iowa critics who say Branstad is courting chaos by rushing to make the switch before the managed-care
companies are ready. One of the main complaints has been that Iowa Medicaid participants were supposed to choose a
managed-care plan by Thursday, even though they had little information about which plans their doctors, hospitals and
other health care providers would participate in. (Leys, 12/18)
Quad City Times: Feds Delay Iowa's Medicaid Transition
Gov. Terry Branstad announced plans to transition Iowa’s $5 billion Medicaid system to four out-of-state, private care
companies earlier this year. In August, the state awarded contracts to Amerigroup Iowa, AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa,
UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley and WellCare of Iowa. Since then, many providers and Medicaid recipients
have called the move rushed, with the Iowa Hospital Association even asking a Polk County District Court judge to delay
the implementation of the managed-care plan until a legal conflict is addressed. (Baker, 12/18)
Bloomberg Business: Medicaid Privatization Gets Messy In Iowa
It’s been a complicated handoff. The change was originally planned to take effect Jan. 1. With two weeks to go, the
federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees state programs, deemed Iowa “not yet ready” in a
letter to the state on Dec. 17. By mid-December, many of the state’s hospitals and other medical providers—such as
clinics, nursing homes, and home health-care services—still hadn’t signed contracts with the Medicaid insurers. That
made it impossible for patients to know whether they could keep their existing doctors. (Tozzi, 12/17)
The Gazette: Iowa's Medicaid Transition To Be Delayed
Federal officials told the state on Thursday it doesn’t believe Iowa is ready to transition its $5 billion Medicaid program
to managed care on Jan. 1 — delaying the move until March 1. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “expects
that we will ultimately be able to approve Iowa’s managed-care waivers. However, we do not believe that Iowa is ready
to make that transition on Jan. 1,” according to a letter addressed to Iowa Medicaid Director Mikki Stier. (Keenan,
12/17)
Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Medicaid Changeover Delayed Til March
Federal officials have told Iowa the state is not ready to transition management of its Medicaid system to private
companies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has told Iowa in a letter today it may transition to private
management on March 1st instead of January 1st, 2016, as long as the state makes sufficient progress toward readiness
by that time. (Boden and Leland, 12/17)
Page 11 of 12

The County Using Churches to Improve Mental Health Care

States Are Just Starting to Enforce the 2008 Mental Health Law

States With Expanded Medicaid Can Better Treat Mental Illness

A Model for Decriminalizing Mental Illness in America

Year After Ruling, Mentally Ill Still Waiting for Care
After the Asylum: How America’s Trying to Fix Its Broken Mental Health System
http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-mental-health-boarding.html
"Addressing the Needs of Mentally Ill Offenders" - guest commentary
“During the holiday season we usually think of good food, shopping and spending time with loved ones,” writes Hannah
Mac Dula in the Napa Valley Register. “However, it is important to remember that men and women who suffer from
chronic and persistent mental illness and who are incarcerated this holiday season will miss spending time with their
families.” READ IT ALL...
"RESEARCH WEEKLY: What We Don't Know is Hurting Us"
Two days before the Treatment Advocacy Center released its new study on the role of mental illness in fatal police
encounters, an essay by a group of Harvard University researchers was published about the nation’s lack of reliable data
on deadly law enforcement incidents. In a data-driven world, failing to quantify the real and significant impacts
untreated mental illness exerts upon our public health, criminal justice and other systems makes it easier to ignore
those impacts and thus not seek to prevent them. READ IT ALL...
"Changing the Way Media Reports on Mental Illness and Criminal Justice"
The Treatment Advocacy Center continues to serve as a resource on the intersection of the criminal justice system and
untreated severe mental illness by publishing reports that shed light on the consequences of our broken mental health
system. Following the release last week of “Overlooked in the Undercounted: The Role of Mental Illness in Fatal Law
Enforcement Encounters,” we have been contacted by media from coast to coast. Here are just a few examples. READ IT
ALL...
"Three Years after Sandy Hook, Need for Mental Health Reform Ever-Growing"
Monday marked the three-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that took 28 lives and injured
many more. Since 2012, mass shootings appear to have increased, revealing what many believe is a failure of the
country’s mental health system to safeguard against such tragedies. READ IT ALL...
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Additional Articles from Around the Nation - NAMI

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