Archive for » February 28th, 2012«

28 Feb 2012

Mental health care assessed at all VA hospitals

Mental health care assessed at all VA hospitals

The Department of Veterans Affairs is auditing its 152 medical centers to see whether they meet the mental health care needs of veterans, VA Undersecretary of Health Dr. Robert Petzel said Monday.

VA headquarters officials are conducting site visits to all their hospitals, reviewing staffing levels, job vacancy rates and productivity levels, Petzel said.

“Providing good access — not adequate, [but] good, excellent access — is our No. 1 priority,” Petzel said at the 2012 American Legion National Conference.

Recent VA news:

Bill: Put all vets employment programs under VA (Feb. 23)

Number of veterans in Congress rises (Feb. 22)

Lawmaker: Is VA health care exempt from cuts? (Feb. 15)

VA officials said more than 500,000 of their 6.2 million patients have diagnoses for post-traumatic stress disorder; 100,000 of those are Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

In 2009, VA treated 1.2 million patients for mental health issues, a Government Accountability Office report found.

VA’s 2013 budget proposal includes $6.2 billion for mental health, which the department plans to use for increased outreach and screenings, new technology for self-assessment and symptom management, and reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care.

During the conference, a Kentucky Legionnaire told Petzel that the mental health department at the Lexington, Ky., VA Medical Center had 20 practitioner vacancies and veterans are having problems scheduling appointments.

“They are talking about discharging all the old PTSD patients out of the mental health clinics … and they’re having trouble getting appointments,” the Legion member said. “They may not get one for 90 days.”

Petzel would not comment specifically on Lexington but said VA expects to report its findings on the overall state of mental health care within the system to Congress in April.

He added that VA is making headway in changing its overall approach to health care from a treatment model centered on individual illnesses to a total health approach, focusing on preventive medicine and patient education. The aim is to decrease illnesses by increasing a patient’s overall health.

“We’re good, but we aren’t as good as we could be. We’re not where we want to be,” Petzel said.


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28 Feb 2012

Donations sought for animal care in Dan River Region

It is hard to describe the bond many people have with their pets.

When an animal lives with someone for years it is often considered part of the family. Veterinarian Jeff Smith said he had seen the sorrow and grief the death of a pet can bring to their owners over the years. This sadness is even worse when a family pet must be put down because the owner cannot afford expensive medical bills.

This is one of the reasons Smith and the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region began the Veterinary Emergency Treatment Fund (VET Fund) to financially assist people when they struggle to pay for a pet’s sudden illness or emergency.

“There’s a lot of funds for animals that don’t have homes,” said Smith of Mount Hermon Animal Clinic. “This is for people in emergency situations. It’s for a person who has their pet and it’s their best friend and they love them, but something happens and it gets hurt.”

The VET Fund was set up this year and is administered by Paulette Dean of the Danville Area Humane Society. Smith said veterinary care can often costs thousands of dollars. So if someone comes in and cannot pay for all of the animal’s care, the veterinarian can see if they are eligible for the fund to help pay for the treatment so the animal does not have to be put down.

Donations to the fund can also be set up in a pet’s name and memorialized. On March 31 there will be a dog walk and Easter egg hunt at Angler’s Park at 2 p.m. to raise money for the VET Fund.

“The best part of this fund is it’s about people who love their pets and are in a good home and need help,” said Smith. The fund joins three other funds supported by The Community Foundation:

» The Pittsylvania County Animal Shelter Fund which was created in 2008 to aid the construction of a new shelter and other efforts that promote animal care;

» The Animal Welfare Fund, which is a general interest fund to help out animal welfare in the Dan River Region; and

» The Irving H. and Louise Hambrick Scarce Animal Welfare Fund that was created in 2011 as a donor advised fund, with the donor recommending annually to the Foundation Board grants to support animal welfare agencies in Danville and Pittsylvania County, such as the Animal Welfare League of Pittsylvania County.

According to the Community Foundation’s executive director Debra Dodson, the organization has a history of giving money to animal welfare groups as well as other social service organizations.

“I know we have so many strong animal lovers out here,” said Dodson. “We want to bring new funds for this. I think certainly that our animals are part of our families, part of a rewarding life.”

To donate

Animal lovers who wish to support one or more of these funds can send donations to The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, 541 Loyal St., Danville, VA 24541. Online credit card gifts can be made at www.cfdrr.org.


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28 Feb 2012

Virginia AG settles with charity run by White House party crasher for alleged …

According to the attorney general’s office, the Fauquier County-based foundation formed to support people with diseases such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, leukemia and lymphoma claimed on its website that 100 percent of its financing goes to charity.

However, based on bank records, the investigation found only 33 percent of its funds in 2007 and less than one percent of its funds in 2008 went directly to disease prevention-related charities. Instead, significant amounts were spent on fundraising overhead costs.

Under the settlement, the charity must pay $32,500 in civil penalties and attorney fees. Salahi also must pay $2,500 in civil penalties. Both the charity and Salahi are prohibited from further violations of Virginia Solicitation of Contributions laws.

The settlement must be approved in Fauquier County Circuit Court.

Salahi’s attorney Georgia Rossiter said Tuesday that the settlement regarding the now-defunct charity is not an admission of any wrongdoing.

All of the profits from fundraising activities went to the charity and were filtered through to other non-profit organizations, Rossiter said.

“His position is that they all went to where they were supposed to go,” she said, adding that he settled because “he’s got a lot of things going on.”

Earlier this month Salahi filed a $50 million lawsuit against his wife, Michaele, claiming she had an affair with Journey guitarist Neil Schon as part of a calculated attempt to make money for herself and the band at his expense.

The couple gained notoriety in 2009 when they crashed a White House state dinner. Michaele Salahi was a cast member of the reality show “Real Housewives of D.C.,” but the show was canceled after one season. She was thrown off the reality show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” when it became apparent she wasn’t addicted to anything.

___

Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum .

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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28 Feb 2012

Mental health care assessed at all VA hospitals

Mental health care assessed at all VA hospitals

The Department of Veterans Affairs is auditing its 152 medical centers to see whether they meet the mental health care needs of veterans, VA Undersecretary of Health Dr. Robert Petzel said Monday.

VA headquarters officials are conducting site visits to all their hospitals, reviewing staffing levels, job vacancy rates and productivity levels, Petzel said.

“Providing good access — not adequate, [but] good, excellent access — is our No. 1 priority,” Petzel said at the 2012 American Legion National Conference.

Recent VA news:

Bill: Put all vets employment programs under VA (Feb. 23)

Number of veterans in Congress rises (Feb. 22)

Lawmaker: Is VA health care exempt from cuts? (Feb. 15)

VA officials said more than 500,000 of their 6.2 million patients have diagnoses for post-traumatic stress disorder; 100,000 of those are Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

In 2009, VA treated 1.2 million patients for mental health issues, a Government Accountability Office report found.

VA’s 2013 budget proposal includes $6.2 billion for mental health, which the department plans to use for increased outreach and screenings, new technology for self-assessment and symptom management, and reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care.

During the conference, a Kentucky Legionnaire told Petzel that the mental health department at the Lexington, Ky., VA Medical Center had 20 practitioner vacancies and veterans are having problems scheduling appointments.

“They are talking about discharging all the old PTSD patients out of the mental health clinics … and they’re having trouble getting appointments,” the Legion member said. “They may not get one for 90 days.”

Petzel would not comment specifically on Lexington but said VA expects to report its findings on the overall state of mental health care within the system to Congress in April.

He added that VA is making headway in changing its overall approach to health care from a treatment model centered on individual illnesses to a total health approach, focusing on preventive medicine and patient education. The aim is to decrease illnesses by increasing a patient’s overall health.

“We’re good, but we aren’t as good as we could be. We’re not where we want to be,” Petzel said.


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28 Feb 2012

Mental health levy back on ballot

FREMONT — When Sandusky County voters go to the polls next week, they will again be asked to consider a tax levy to fund mental health services in the county.

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties has presented the same 0.8-mill levy to county voters five times since 2006. The proposed property tax has failed in each election, though only by a 330-vote margin in November.

Board Director Nancy Cochran said Sandusky County is the only county in northwest Ohio without such a property tax on the books. Not having that funding source, Cochran said, severely limits the services the board can offer county residents.

“Right now, unless a person is in crisis, if they don’t have insurance or Medicaid, they are put on a waiting list,” she said. “That has been starting at eight weeks.”

The board distributes state and federal funds to the three counties based on population, but has a lot less money to spread around than it did just one year ago.

The annual budget, Cochran said, has fallen from about $9.5 million to $7.8 million, because of state funding cuts. She said they expect to lose another $200,000 soon, which funds drug and alcohol treatment programs.

With the current population distribution, about a seventh of the funds wind up in Wyandot County, and the remainder is nearly evenly split between Seneca and Sandusky counties, Cochran said. No matter the fate of the levy, she said, that division of state and federal funds will remain.

A countywide property tax, if approved, is expected to raise about $940,000. All of that additional revenue would fund mental health services in Sandusky County, Cochran said.

“That means we wouldn’t be turning anyone away,” she said. “There wouldn’t be a waiting list.”

The levy is estimated to cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $24.05 annually. If approved, it would remain on the books for five years.

The majority of board funds pay for services provided by Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services.

A smaller percentage of funds go to local programs and initiatives. One example is the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Crisis Intervention Team program, which trains local law enforcement officers on how best to help people with mental issues.

On the November ballot, the mental health levy was endorsed by the Sandusky County Bar Association, six judges in the county and the Democratic and Republican parties of Sandusky County. Fremont City Council also voted unanimously at its Feb. 16 meeting to support the levy.


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28 Feb 2012

Donations going further at the Urban Mission



02/27/2012 05:43 PM



By: Amanda Kelley

Hunger continues to be an issue that hits close to home in the North Country with one in every six people throughout Jefferson County at poverty level. Our Amanda Kelley tells us about a grant competition working to combat hunger and how your donations to the Urban Mission can go just a little further these next two months.

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. – -For families like the Monaghan’s, every dollar counts. And the Urban Mission has helped them to make sure their five children has something to eat at the dinner table every night.

Watertown resident Stephanie Monaghan said, “It helps us a lot. Being in the poverty that we’re in today and the economy being as low as it is, it helps with the end of the month to get through to the beginning of the month when you can get the extra money that you get.”

But the Monaghan’s are far from being alone. Watertown Urban Mission Executive Director Erika Flint said, “Nationally, one in seven are in poverty. Just here in Jefferson County it’s one in six. And right here in the city of Watertown it’s one in five. So the numbers just keep getting a little more depressing as we go.”

Donations keep this pantry operating on a daily basis to help combat hunger. But now your donation of a canned good or other food item can go even further at the Urban Mission during the months of March and April. Helping to support the community and secure grant funding.

Flint said, “A donation from March 1st to April 30th of either money or food will just go further. It’s a chance to match it up against a gentleman from Rhode Island and bring some other money to this area, so it’s a great way if not only you’re going to give, it’s going to go a little bit extra.”

It’s called the Feinstein Challenge and for every food item and dollar donated, the mission will be able to secure a larger portion of the one million grant dollars available. Providing more meals and more help to those in the community.

Flint said, “It would go a long long way in helping ensure particularly our summer months that are children in this area are well taken care of.”

Continuing to help those who turn to the mission to make dinners possible for their families.

Watertown resident Gary Hall said, “It’s going to help us a lot. I mean right now I don’t have anything, so right now it’s going to help us a lot. We’re going to actually be able to eat.”

Fighting hunger one donation at a time.

The mission hopes to secure over $20,000 in grant funding through the Feinstein Challenge. Last year they were able to leverage about $19,000 through this same program.


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28 Feb 2012

IHOP Offers Free Pancakes, Chance To Help Children’s Charity

Copyright 2012 by WLKY.com. ©2012 Hearst Properties Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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28 Feb 2012

Allen introduces bill to extend mental health law

An existing law that allows counties to provide court-ordered outpatient mental health care for people who are mentally ill may be extended until 2019 under legislation introduced by local Assemblymember Michael Allen.

Allen, D-Santa Rosa, wrote AB 1569 to extend ‘Laura’s Law,’ a bill that went into effect in 2003, but has only been implemented in Nevada County in the Sierra Foothills.

The law was named after Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old college student who was shot by a mentally ill man in January 2001 in Nevada City at Nevada County’s behavioral health clinic. Wilcox was working there temporarily during her winter break.

The shooter, Scott Harlan Thorpe, killed Wilcox, a student at a Quaker college in Philadelphia, and two other people that day — a caregiver at the clinic and an assistant manager at a nearby Lyon’s Restaurant.

 Thorpe, a man with a long history of mental illness, was arrested hours later at his house outside Grass Valley. In 2003, a Nevada County Superior Court judge found him not guilty by reason on insanity in connection with the three killings and ordered him housed at Napa State Hospital.

Laura’s Law, which is scheduled to end next January, allows court-ordered outpatient treatment services for people with severe mental illnesses who have failed to stay in treatment and are likely to become dangerous or gravely disabled without help.

“Scientific research has demonstrated that sustained outpatient commitment can be highly successful for individuals with serious mental illnesses if they have at least 180 days of service and they receive an intensive array of services needed to address their various serious problems,” said Allen, who was elected in 2010 and did not introduce the original bill.

“It is critical that we extend ‘Laura’s Law,’ which has given hope to the mentally ill through a system which offers them a continuity of care, support, and an understanding of the multiple needs of those with serious and persistent mental illnesses,” he added.

Allen’s bill has received the support from the California Psychiatric Association, according to his written statement.

The law is voluntary. So far, only Nevada County has fully implemented the law, partially using money from Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act.

Amanda Wilcox, the student’s mother, supports Allen’s efforts to extend Laura’s Law, calling it a win-win for all. “We think it’s very good policy,” she said.

Nevada County officials have said that for every dollar spent to implement Laura’s Law, the county saved $1.81 by reducing the need for hospitalization and incarceration, Wilcox said.

Typically, the mentally ill person agrees to enter a treatment program under agreements signed off by both the patient and the judge, officials reported.

The matter has not come up before the Napa County Board of Supervisors, board chairman Keith Caldwell said.

Randy Snowden, Napa County Health and Human Services director, said counties in past years have been concerned about creating a program without supporting funds. Advocates for the mentally ill have also raised concerned about Laura’s Law, citing civil rights issues, he said.

“Right now, there are a lot of pros and cons,” Snowden said.

Napa County’s mental health division serves about 2,000 clients a year on an outpatient basis, Snowden said.

After their daughter was killed, Amanda Wilcox and her husband, Nick, both Quakers, lobbied to stop gun shows. They continue to work to prevent gun violence.

The Wilcoxes have tried to visit Thorpe at Napa State Hospital but he declined to see them, Amanda Wilcox said. Later, Thorpe did send them a card expressing sorrow for what had happened, she said. They may try to see him again, she said.

“We understand he was a sick person,” Amanda Wilcox said. “And we’ve always understood that.”


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28 Feb 2012

Autism in California: Major Health Insurers agree to provide autism coverage

Great news.

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced today that he has reached favorable settlement agreements with two major health insurers, Health Net and Cigna, to guarantee coverage of behavioral therapy for autism, and to provide it to all insureds whenever medically necessary.

The two new settlement agreements follow a similar settlement agreement reached last month with Blue Shield to provide behavioral health treatments, including Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy (ABA), a well-recognized and effective treatment for autism. In addition, Commissioner Jones reconfirmed that since November 2009 yet another major health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross of California, has been providing coverage of behavioral therapy for autism pursuant to Department of Insurance direction.

“We are pleased that Health Net and Cigna now recognize their current obligations to provide crucial behavioral health treatment to the thousands of children who must live with autism every day,” said Commissioner Jones. “And we are pleased to reconfirm and acknowledge Anthem Blue Cross of California for providing this treatment as the Department of Insurance has directed since November 2009. These agreements mean more families with autistic children won’t have to lose sleep over whether or not they can afford a therapy that’s been proven to transform lives.”

As part of the settlements, Health Net and Cigna agreed to maintain an adequate provider network to enable them to provide treatment to all insureds with autism; not to reject any claims for ABA; and create dedicated customer service units or support teams specially trained to handle inquiries about ABA, requests for coverage or authorization, and for payment for ABA services. Prior to these settlements both insurers rejected claims for ABA. Anthem stopped denying coverage for ABA services in response to the Department of Insurance’s direction in November, 2009, and since then has been offering ABA services as in network benefits to its insureds.

Jones pointed out that the agreements ensure that these companies comply with the state’s Mental Health Parity Act (MHP), which requires coverage for medically necessary behavioral therapies. In keeping with the Act, the Department consistently has overturned health insurer denials of coverage for autism treatment. To further reinforce the requirements of the MHP, the Legislature last year passed SB 946 (Steinberg) which does not go into effect until July 1, 2012.

Today’s announced agreements are consistent with the Commissioner’s position that autism coverage was required before SB 946 and further demonstrate that Commissioner Jones will continue to require health insurers to provide such coverage to those families and individuals seeking it prior to the effective date of SB 946.

It is  encouraging to see that the health insurers are stepping up to the plate and taking a positive approach to improve the lives of individuals with autism and their families.

The settlements are available to the public.

Cigna’s Stipulation and Order to Show Cause.

Health Net’s Stipulation and Order to Show Cause.

___

UPCOMING RESOURCE FAIRS AND CONFERENCES:

Support For Special Needs March 3, San Francisco

Autism Works March 6, St. Louis, MO

UCSF Developmental Disabilities Conference. March 8 and 9, San Francisco

South Bay Autism Resource Fair April 16, Belmont, CA

___

Got  questions? Need resources? Email me here citybights@sfgate.com and I will do my very best to help.

FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

Read the first three chapters of A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM here.


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28 Feb 2012

AP source: Billionaire gives another ‘substantial’ contribution to group …

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