Below are a few bills of interest to social workers and their clients. I have highlighted a few points in the bill that may be of concern. As a citizen of NC, you may contact your legislators to let them know how you feel about particular bills. You may also contact the bill sponsors!
Bills of interest:
Protect Health Care Freedom
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H2
- opting out of the federal mandate to have health care by 2014
- this will add NC to the host of other states that have taken this to federal courts.
- let your legislators know how this bill has already impacted you and your clients and how it will impact you if it is not obtained.
Disapprove Closure of Dorthea Dix Hospital
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H4
- Closure of the hospital has to be voted upon in the General Assembly
- Let your legislators know how you feel about the closing of this historic state hospital and how it impacts the mental health system in our state
No Post-secondary Education/Illegal Aliens
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H11
- This would ban the illegal aliens that can pay out of state costs to attend our community colleges from obtaining degrees
- This bill also adds public universities to the list of where they cannot attend school (not just community colleges)
- Let your legislators know how this infringes on rights of the people in this state
Children's Advocacy Center Funds
http://ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=H16
- This bill allocates a certain amount of money to advocacy groups to continue to research needs faced by children in this state.
- Let your legislators know the importance of these funds for our children and for our state!
Upcoming bills:
Requiring Photo ID's to Vote
- This bill has not been introduced yet but will be SOON. Let your legislators know how it would limit vulnerable people in this state that do not have ID from voting (elderly folks that no longer have licenses, people with disabilities, people that cannot afford to get government ID, etc!).
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A note from the Director of Advocay, Policy and Legislation
I typically use this space to forward information on about events/conferences/news/etc. Today I am writing in hopes to inspire you to get connected with your elected officials. Legislation will move QUICKLY through the General Assembly. It is in the best interest of your profession and clients to speak on behalf of issues you feel strongly about. You can call, email and hand write letters to those that represent you (and to those that sponsor/co-sponsor particular bills).
It is really so simple to communicate with them and you should by no means feel intimated. They are people just like you! To find out who represents you, go to http://ncleg.net/GIS/RandR07/Representation.html. If you need some help with inspiration of what to say about particular pieces of legislation, feel free to contact me at kay@naswnc.org.
It really is such an important time for you to get involved! The social work profession needs help from EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! So stand up to advocate for yourself, your profession, your clients and the community you live in!
Kay Paksoy
Director of Advocacy, Policy and Legislation
It is really so simple to communicate with them and you should by no means feel intimated. They are people just like you! To find out who represents you, go to http://ncleg.net/GIS/RandR07/Representation.html. If you need some help with inspiration of what to say about particular pieces of legislation, feel free to contact me at kay@naswnc.org.
It really is such an important time for you to get involved! The social work profession needs help from EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! So stand up to advocate for yourself, your profession, your clients and the community you live in!
Kay Paksoy
Director of Advocacy, Policy and Legislation
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Preventing suicide Tips
In North Carolina, to prevent suicides ANYONE needing help or concerned that an individual is considering causing harm to himself or herself call 24/7:
• Access to Care/Crisis Services lines in the Local Management Entities http://www.ncdhhs.gov/mhddsas/lmedirectory.htm
• CARE-LINE (Monday-Friday 8-5 only) by calling 1-800-662-7030 (English/Spanish) or 1-877-452-2514 (TTY). For local calls, you may dial 855-4400 (English/Spanish) or 919-733-4851 (TTY). http://www.ncdhhs.gov/ocs/careline.htm
• REAL Crisis Intervention, Greenville, NC 27858, 1-252-758-4357
http://www.realcrisis.org/
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• 911 - if a life threatening emergency
WARNING SIGNS
Abrupt change in personality
Withdrawal from others
Giving away possessions
Change in sleep habits
Previous suicidal attempts
Change in eating habits
Drugs or alcohol abuse
Change in hygiene
Talk about suicide
KNOW THE FACTS
Every 42 seconds, someone attempts suicide. Every 16.9 minutes, someone completes suicide.
Suicide outnumbered homicides (16,899) by 5 to 3.
There were twice as many deaths due to suicide than deaths due to HIV/AIDS (14,802).
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.
It was the 8th leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for females.
Among the highest rates (when categorized by gender and race) are suicide deaths for white men over 85.
Suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years of age, following unintentional injuries and homicide.
The strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in adults are depression, alcohol abuse, cocaine use, and separation or divorce.
The strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in youth are depression, alcohol or other drug use disorder, and aggressive or disruptive behaviors
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/App_Files/Media/PDF/NSPL_WalletCard.pdf
• Access to Care/Crisis Services lines in the Local Management Entities http://www.ncdhhs.gov/mhddsas/lmedirectory.htm
• CARE-LINE (Monday-Friday 8-5 only) by calling 1-800-662-7030 (English/Spanish) or 1-877-452-2514 (TTY). For local calls, you may dial 855-4400 (English/Spanish) or 919-733-4851 (TTY). http://www.ncdhhs.gov/ocs/careline.htm
• REAL Crisis Intervention, Greenville, NC 27858, 1-252-758-4357
http://www.realcrisis.org/
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
• 911 - if a life threatening emergency
WARNING SIGNS
Abrupt change in personality
Withdrawal from others
Giving away possessions
Change in sleep habits
Previous suicidal attempts
Change in eating habits
Drugs or alcohol abuse
Change in hygiene
Talk about suicide
KNOW THE FACTS
Every 42 seconds, someone attempts suicide. Every 16.9 minutes, someone completes suicide.
Suicide outnumbered homicides (16,899) by 5 to 3.
There were twice as many deaths due to suicide than deaths due to HIV/AIDS (14,802).
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States.
It was the 8th leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for females.
Among the highest rates (when categorized by gender and race) are suicide deaths for white men over 85.
Suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years of age, following unintentional injuries and homicide.
The strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in adults are depression, alcohol abuse, cocaine use, and separation or divorce.
The strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in youth are depression, alcohol or other drug use disorder, and aggressive or disruptive behaviors
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/App_Files/Media/PDF/NSPL_WalletCard.pdf
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Legislator Visits UNC School of Social Work
http://ssw.unc.edu/contact/sen-ellie-kinnaird-visits-the-school
The Right Thing To Do
The Herald-Sun
January 24, 2011
By Ellen S. Holliman, Gudrun Parmer and Marcia H. Morey
Guest columnists
We noted with interest the recent Herald-Sun article called “Jails Tackle Tough Issue,” which highlighted what has been a source of serious concern in the behavioral health community locally and nationally for years. It should not be a revelation today that our jails (in addition to our homeless shelters and hospital emergency departments) have long been a collection point for individuals experiencing mental illness or substance use disorders, or both. However, we welcome any attention paid to this chronic and troubling issue, as well as this opportunity to balance the story by describing some innovative initiatives in Durham to address it.
The relationship between mental illness and involvement with the criminal justice system is a highly complex one often involving numerous other life issues such as homelessness and poverty. Isolating mental illness as the cause of criminal behavior is unjust and overly simplistic. Data tell us that across the country a significantly higher percentage of persons with mental illness find their way into our correctional systems as compared to the general population, and Durham is no different.
This could lead many to believe that persons with mental illness are dangerous or violent and need to be locked up to keep the public safe. This is just a myth. In fact, persons with mental illness are 12 times more likely to be the victim of a crime than to be an offender. In a recent study of repeat offenders with symptoms of mental illness conducted by The Durham Center, almost 80 percent were jailed on non-violent misdemeanors, but they spent an average of 35 days longer in jail than the general population.
The Durham Center and the Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center have nurtured a close collaboration with other members of Durham’s Mental Health Criminal Justice Advisory Committee to work toward preventing our citizens with behavioral health issues from ending up in jail, and providing them with appropriate treament and support when they do. The group works to identify recommendations that would address the “revolving door” of individuals entering into and being released from jail in need of behavioral health services.
Since 2007 The Durham Center has teamed with NAMI-Durham and our law enforcement partners to provide Crisis Intervention Team training to over 180 local law enforcement officers, plus all of Durham’s emergency telecommunicators. This 40-hour training is part of a nationally acclaimed model teaching officers to recognize the signs of mental illness in individuals in crisis and to respond in a way that requires less force and promotes access to treatment rather than arrest and jail.
Recently The Durham Center received a significant grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and partnered with the Durham Police Department, the Criminal Justice Resource Center and the Center for Child and Family Health to win another from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
The SAMHSA grant provides almost $6 million over six years to allow a diverse group of local agencies to target 16-21-year-olds with a serious mental illness and other high risk factors such as poor school performance or dropping out, teenage parenting, criminal justice involvement and lack of employment skills. These vunerable youth will be provided with the comprehensive services and support they need to assist with a successful transition to adulthood, free of involvement with the criminal justice system.
The BJA grant provides over $300,000 to fund a Mental Health Outreach Program designed to reduce re-arrest for non-violent offenses, increase court-involved individuals engaged in mental health treatment, and further increase patrol officers who receive mental health training.
Two social workers and a part-time psychiatrist are housed at the Durham County jail to respond to the mental health needs of inmates and to help ensure that when they are released they are able to transition to appropriate ongoing care and support. People incarcerated at the jail or the local youth detention facility also have access to a psychiatrist through a telepsychiatry program managed by The Durham Center. We continue to focus on expanding community-based care that addresses the unique needs of persons living with mental illness who are criminal-justice involved.
In combination, these measures are designed to route individuals into needed treatment rather than incarceration, when appropiate, and to provide them the help they need when they do end up in jail. Working together we are beginning to see a positive impact. However, the need is great and much more could be done.
More than 150 communities across the country have instituted mental health courts to implement innovative, collaborative efforts among judges, attorneys and other court personnel working alongside mental health practioners to decrease the frequency of contacts that adult offenders have with the criminal justice system by providing courts with resources to improve their social functioning and link them to employment, housing, treatment and support services. The Durham Center is teaming with court officers and elected officials in our community to explore the feasibility of creating a mental health court here. We believe it would have a tangible impact on the numbers of individuals with mental illness in our jail, and we encourage public support for this important initiative.
We realize these initiatives come with a cost during a weakened local economy. However, we submit that providing the services necessary to keep our citizens with behavioral health issues out of our jails, and providing them with the treatment and comprehensive ongoing support that can help reduce their time in jail and keep them from returning, is a wise and necessary investment of tax dollars.
Do we choose to continue to pay over $12,000 per jail stay for individuals with mental illness? Shall we continue to expand our jail capacity to the tune of over $76 million projected in fiscal years 2011 and 2012? Or would the more cost-efficient alternative be to make comparatively meager investments in additional clinical staff for our jail, create additional therapeutic and supportive housing options and develop a mental health court that could divert people from incarceration so they can lead productive, healthy and law-abiding lives?
We want our community to know that this is a serious and complex problem. We want citizens to be aware of the important measures already in place to address it. And we urge members of our community to advocate for public and private support, financial and otherwise, for the additional initiatives that have the potential to save millions of dollars over time while helping our brothers and sisters with behavioral health problems start on the road to recovery.
It’s just the right thing to do.
Ellen S. Holliman is area director of The Durham Center; Gudrun Parmer is director of the Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center; and Marcia H. Morey is a Durham County District Court judge.
January 24, 2011
By Ellen S. Holliman, Gudrun Parmer and Marcia H. Morey
Guest columnists
We noted with interest the recent Herald-Sun article called “Jails Tackle Tough Issue,” which highlighted what has been a source of serious concern in the behavioral health community locally and nationally for years. It should not be a revelation today that our jails (in addition to our homeless shelters and hospital emergency departments) have long been a collection point for individuals experiencing mental illness or substance use disorders, or both. However, we welcome any attention paid to this chronic and troubling issue, as well as this opportunity to balance the story by describing some innovative initiatives in Durham to address it.
The relationship between mental illness and involvement with the criminal justice system is a highly complex one often involving numerous other life issues such as homelessness and poverty. Isolating mental illness as the cause of criminal behavior is unjust and overly simplistic. Data tell us that across the country a significantly higher percentage of persons with mental illness find their way into our correctional systems as compared to the general population, and Durham is no different.
This could lead many to believe that persons with mental illness are dangerous or violent and need to be locked up to keep the public safe. This is just a myth. In fact, persons with mental illness are 12 times more likely to be the victim of a crime than to be an offender. In a recent study of repeat offenders with symptoms of mental illness conducted by The Durham Center, almost 80 percent were jailed on non-violent misdemeanors, but they spent an average of 35 days longer in jail than the general population.
The Durham Center and the Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center have nurtured a close collaboration with other members of Durham’s Mental Health Criminal Justice Advisory Committee to work toward preventing our citizens with behavioral health issues from ending up in jail, and providing them with appropriate treament and support when they do. The group works to identify recommendations that would address the “revolving door” of individuals entering into and being released from jail in need of behavioral health services.
Since 2007 The Durham Center has teamed with NAMI-Durham and our law enforcement partners to provide Crisis Intervention Team training to over 180 local law enforcement officers, plus all of Durham’s emergency telecommunicators. This 40-hour training is part of a nationally acclaimed model teaching officers to recognize the signs of mental illness in individuals in crisis and to respond in a way that requires less force and promotes access to treatment rather than arrest and jail.
Recently The Durham Center received a significant grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and partnered with the Durham Police Department, the Criminal Justice Resource Center and the Center for Child and Family Health to win another from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
The SAMHSA grant provides almost $6 million over six years to allow a diverse group of local agencies to target 16-21-year-olds with a serious mental illness and other high risk factors such as poor school performance or dropping out, teenage parenting, criminal justice involvement and lack of employment skills. These vunerable youth will be provided with the comprehensive services and support they need to assist with a successful transition to adulthood, free of involvement with the criminal justice system.
The BJA grant provides over $300,000 to fund a Mental Health Outreach Program designed to reduce re-arrest for non-violent offenses, increase court-involved individuals engaged in mental health treatment, and further increase patrol officers who receive mental health training.
Two social workers and a part-time psychiatrist are housed at the Durham County jail to respond to the mental health needs of inmates and to help ensure that when they are released they are able to transition to appropriate ongoing care and support. People incarcerated at the jail or the local youth detention facility also have access to a psychiatrist through a telepsychiatry program managed by The Durham Center. We continue to focus on expanding community-based care that addresses the unique needs of persons living with mental illness who are criminal-justice involved.
In combination, these measures are designed to route individuals into needed treatment rather than incarceration, when appropiate, and to provide them the help they need when they do end up in jail. Working together we are beginning to see a positive impact. However, the need is great and much more could be done.
More than 150 communities across the country have instituted mental health courts to implement innovative, collaborative efforts among judges, attorneys and other court personnel working alongside mental health practioners to decrease the frequency of contacts that adult offenders have with the criminal justice system by providing courts with resources to improve their social functioning and link them to employment, housing, treatment and support services. The Durham Center is teaming with court officers and elected officials in our community to explore the feasibility of creating a mental health court here. We believe it would have a tangible impact on the numbers of individuals with mental illness in our jail, and we encourage public support for this important initiative.
We realize these initiatives come with a cost during a weakened local economy. However, we submit that providing the services necessary to keep our citizens with behavioral health issues out of our jails, and providing them with the treatment and comprehensive ongoing support that can help reduce their time in jail and keep them from returning, is a wise and necessary investment of tax dollars.
Do we choose to continue to pay over $12,000 per jail stay for individuals with mental illness? Shall we continue to expand our jail capacity to the tune of over $76 million projected in fiscal years 2011 and 2012? Or would the more cost-efficient alternative be to make comparatively meager investments in additional clinical staff for our jail, create additional therapeutic and supportive housing options and develop a mental health court that could divert people from incarceration so they can lead productive, healthy and law-abiding lives?
We want our community to know that this is a serious and complex problem. We want citizens to be aware of the important measures already in place to address it. And we urge members of our community to advocate for public and private support, financial and otherwise, for the additional initiatives that have the potential to save millions of dollars over time while helping our brothers and sisters with behavioral health problems start on the road to recovery.
It’s just the right thing to do.
Ellen S. Holliman is area director of The Durham Center; Gudrun Parmer is director of the Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center; and Marcia H. Morey is a Durham County District Court judge.
Friday, January 21, 2011
States’ Budget Crises Cut Deeply Into Financing for Mental Health Programs
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/us/21mental.html?_r=1&ref=mentalhealthanddisord
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