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Mental Health News Archives Read local articles regarding NAMI's Grading the States 2009 May 2009 Tennessee: Bredesen seeks mental health, trauma site cuts NASHVILLE - Seriously mentally ill Tennesseans could wind up in local jails or worse because of planned bed cuts at mental health institutes under Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed budget cuts, advocates warned Tuesday. Under other proposed reductions, local governments would be on a financial hook if deemed to be sending too many children into state custody. Tennessee: Bredesen budget cuts to hit mentally ill, Erlanger NASHVILLE - Under Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed budget cuts, mentally ill Tennesseans experiencing psychotic episodes may wind up in local jails because of planned bed cuts at mental health institutes, advocates warned today. Local governments, meanwhile, would be on the financial hook if they are deemed to be "over-committing" children to state custody. "Over-committing" is defined as a level of commitment to state custody exceeding 200 percent of the statewide average. The move could shift $7.5 million in costs from the state to locals. Christian: Youth with mental health issues can find help The theme of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is "Thriving in the Community" and will be held Friday. According to National Council Magazine, for young people with serious mental illness to succeed in the adult world, they need more than treatment. They need to be truly integrated into their communities. They need jobs that offer skills, dignity, independence and peers. And they need a responsible and caring older adult who can help them. Hotline ready to Respond in mental health crisis A mental health crisis can be a frightening experience, both for the individual and for his or her family. "The families are in a really difficult situation if they have a family member who doesn't want to receive treatment," said Marlene Bailey, manager of Respond - the 24-hour crisis response hotline run by Mountain States Health Alliance. Respond is a toll-free service staffed by licensed counselors, and it exists to help families find out what their options are when a loved one seems out of control. April 2009 Chattanooga: Economic stress fuels demand for counseling Demand for low-cost counseling is rising as families struggle through the uncertainty of the stock market meltdown and increasing unemployment, the founder of a local counseling center said. The economic downturn in the last year has created economic stress, which often translates to family stress, Dr. Jana Pressley of the Richmont Community Counseling Center said. Advocates say proposed cuts to mental health services would hurt all Proposed budget cuts to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities will hurt more than mentally ill people and those who serve them, advocates say. When programs helping the mentally ill are cut, it will cost the entire community, said Rebecca Gill, regional coordinator for the Knoxville chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. State mental health budget may be slashed Some services for the mentally ill may be cut from the proposed 2009-2010 state budget. The Tennessee General Assembly is working with the administration on the budget. State Rep. Robert Ramsey, R-Maryville, said that the proposed budget slashes mental health spending.
March 2009 Army commander: More mental health workers needed
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A top Army commander said Wednesday at Fort Bragg that repeated deployments strain relationships and factor in the spike in suicides among Army personnel. "Over 70 percent of the cases last year, this thing starts with a problem with a relationship," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli told reporters at North Carolina's Fort Bragg. "It is usually compounded by some other issue that occurs. It could be financial, legal, substance abuse or trouble with the law... We have to work programs that will help people mend those relationships." Recession breeds stress, anxiety
Eileen Griffin always wanted to own a bookstore. So three years ago, when she retired from her job as a national account manager for Random House, she took all her savings and opened the Griffin Bookshop and Coffee Bar in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. It became a local favorite, with live music performances on Friday and Saturday nights. "This is my big dream. When I retired, I thought, "This is great — I'm going to open a bookstore and a coffee bar," she said. "Then the economy started doing what it's doing." A homeless person’s perspective: Seeking a normal life
Willie Earl Walker says he’s ready to lead a normal life in a normal neighborhood, but he knows full well the short worth of his words. A convicted felon and recovering addict who’s stayed sober four months and counting, he’s also ready for the cold shoulders and wary eyes likely to greet him from the family next door, should he land a spot in supportive housing for the chronically homeless. For now, though, he’ll bide his time on a waiting list read the full article February 2009 New program announced for drug addicted, mentally ill
There are programs in Nashville's courts to deal with mental health problems and drug addiction, but until now, nobody was equipped to treat both. The city's newest residential treatment center will have 16 beds to help nonviolent offenders who struggle with both a diagnosed mental illness and a drug or alcohol addiction. The program will be funded by a $634,000 federal grant and administered through the Mental Health Court. read the full article Self-care is key to progress As a physician's assistant at Skyline Hospital Madison, I see women every day who are at the breaking point, mentally, because they are physically and spiritually exhausted. Too often, women are burned out because they haven't taken the time to take care of themselves. Before they know it, another year has passed, and they haven't had their annual physical or their mammogram, checked their hormone levels, gone on a vacation, or even read a book. As a result, they develop a health issue that, left unidentified and/or unaddressed, spirals into a mental health issue, and it doesn't even occur to them that one could be related to the other. read the full article Advocacy group urges state to maintain funding for mental health programs Advocates say proposed cuts in state programs for the mentally ill would cause some people to lose stability and would worsen problems ranging from homelessness to violence. "We are either going to have to pay a little bit on the front end, or we are going to pay a lot on the back end after a lot of personal tragedy and damage to our communities," said Sita Diehl, executive director of NAMI Tennessee, an advocacy group for the mentally ill. read the full article J&J, Vanderbilt Team Up on Schizophrenia Drugs In an unusually extensive collaboration between an academic institution and a drug maker, Vanderbilt University will partner with Johnson & Johnson to develop new drugs to treat schizophrenia. The Tennessee university will receive about $10 million from J&J over the next three years, plus as much as $100 million in additional payments if it meets certain research milestones. The deal is scheduled to be announced Friday. read the full article |
