RALEIGH - Despite long-standing plans to shut down Dorothea Dix Hospital in February, Wake County appears close to a deal to keep a small part of the aging state psychiatric facility open until 2011.
In an agreement expected to win approval from Wake commissioners Monday, the county will pay the state up to $5.3 million a year to retain up to 32 psychiatric beds in a building on the Dix campus.
The temporary unit would stay open until a planned Wake County crisis facility and an addition to Holly Hill, a private mental hospital in Raleigh, are complete.
The state Department of Health and Human Services would operate the 32-bed unit and kick in an additional $1.9 million a year to help cover expenses, according to a draft report included in the county commissioners' agenda materials.
Most of the state and county money will go to cover the cost of 75 full-time workers needed to staff the facility 24 hours a day.
"We're essentially contracting with the state to provide a needed service," County Manager David Cooke said of the proposal Friday. "If we didn't do this, some patients would not have a place to go."
Laura White, team leader for the state hospital system, confirmed Friday that DHHS is in "close negotiation" with Wake County about the continued use of Dix, but she said she couldn't yet discuss the details.
"We want to see something work," White said. "It's just that we're not in a position to say anything is final and go on record in the newspaper yet."
The agreement, if approved, would be an attempt to provide a local solution to an ongoing capacity crunch with mental health beds.
The state is moving forward with plans to simultaneously close Dix and John Umstead Hospital in Butner in favor of a new facility under construction. When it opens next year, Central Regional Hospital in Butner will offer 432 patient beds -- 171 fewer than are now at Dix and Umstead.
The state is cutting its patient capacity in the midst of a bungled reform effort that was intended to ease demand for psychiatric hospital beds in favor of outpatient, community-based care provided by private companies.
Instead, admissions at North Carolina's four mental hospitals have soared since the reform effort was begun in 2001.
At Dix, the 156-year-old mental hospital west of downtown, patients are routinely placed on waiting lists for admission because there are not enough beds.
In the past six months, patients seeking admission to Dix were placed on waiting lists nearly two-thirds of the time -- 108 out of 184 days, according to state records.
The situation leaves staff at the county's major medical centers -- WakeMed, Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Rex Hospital -- scrambling to find spots for their patients in psychiatric facilities as much as three hours away. Many private mental hospitals won't take patients who don't have health insurance or who exhibit violent or threatening behavior.
At WakeMed Raleigh Campus, which has the busiest emergency room in the county, a recent study found that about a quarter of patients needing placement in a psychiatric facility spent at least one night waiting.
The county government is planning to build a $21 million mental health crisis center and substance abuse detox unit, which is planned to open in 2010.
Wake has also contracted with Holly Hill to admit the indigent patients the private facility would have previously turned away. In cooperation with the county, the hospital also has plans to add 44 beds to make up for some of the capacity lost when Dix closes.
The 32 beds at Dix retained through the agreement under consideration Monday are intended to help cover the gap until at least 2009, when the construction of a new wing at Holly Hill is expected to be complete.
State officials say they may also keep 115 beds at the old Umstead Hospital open as "overflow capacity" -- meaning that at least some beds at the two aging facilities set to close in February will have to stay open to handle the increasing demand for treatment.
"Clearly, we've added a 115-bed unit because we realized a 432-bed hospital was not adequate for the patients we're currently serving," White said Friday. "We do have some [admissions] delays. If we are successful in getting a unit with Wake, I do believe that would relieve some of those delays."
It was not immediately clear Friday what effect the new plan might have on Raleigh's bid to buy Dix's 306-acre campus from the state to establish a new city park.
A $10.5 million offer for the land made by Mayor Charles Meeker in June received little enthusiasm from legislators, and the state still has not finalized plans for what to do with the hundreds of non-hospital DHHS workers now housed in buildings on the sprawling Dix campus.
Meeker said he first learned Friday of the proposed deal to keep part of the old hospital open.
"I think any use of the Dix property for mental health treatment takes priority over other potential uses for the property," Meeker said.
-Information from News and Observer, The Carolina Journal, Coalition Partners, and Medical personnel.
Monday, November 19, 2007
NC School Social Work Association Board Meeting
NASW-NC attended the NC School Social Work Association Board meeting in Ashville November 14, 2007. NASW-NC holds a seat on the state Board of Directors as a professional liaison. During the meeting NASW-NC learned the following:
1.The National School Social Work Association has a new Executive Director. The new National Offices are now located in Indiana.
2.State partnerships with the National Association have been dissolved.
3.Member dues will now go up to $120 for one year membership.
4.Virginia Hoover represents School Social Workers on the Dropout Legislative Oversight Committee. Ms. Hoover is a School Social Worker from Guilford County.
1.The National School Social Work Association has a new Executive Director. The new National Offices are now located in Indiana.
2.State partnerships with the National Association have been dissolved.
3.Member dues will now go up to $120 for one year membership.
4.Virginia Hoover represents School Social Workers on the Dropout Legislative Oversight Committee. Ms. Hoover is a School Social Worker from Guilford County.
News from Disability Rights NC
Vicki Smith has been selected to serve as the Executive Director of PAIMI beginning November 26, 2007. Congratulations, Vicki!
www.disabilityrightsnc.org
www.disabilityrightsnc.org
Support reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
On November 9, US House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) introduced the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137), a bill to reauthorize and reform the Higher Education Act. The Senate passed (95-0) its version of the HEA renewal (S. 1642) in July. AAUW members and staff have worked hard to get provisions in the House bill that make it a better bill for women and minority students and faculty. For specifics and a link to ask your representative to support this bill, see http://capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=10539421&type=CO
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Immigration Panel Discussion for students and interested parties
Latino Immigration in North Carolina:
Local Struggles and Opportunities for Change
A Panel Discussion
Tuesday, November 20
12:00-2:00pm
UNC School of Social Work
Tate Turner Kuralt Building, 5th Floor Lounge
Featured Panelists:
Marisol Jiménez McGee, El Pueblo
Mauricio Castro, NC Latino Coalition
Juan Ortiz, NC Farmworker Health Program
Libby Manly, United Food and Commercial Workers
Lunch Provided
Please R.S.V.P. to Amy Haynes, haynesamy@yahoo.com
Local Struggles and Opportunities for Change
A Panel Discussion
Tuesday, November 20
12:00-2:00pm
UNC School of Social Work
Tate Turner Kuralt Building, 5th Floor Lounge
Featured Panelists:
Marisol Jiménez McGee, El Pueblo
Mauricio Castro, NC Latino Coalition
Juan Ortiz, NC Farmworker Health Program
Libby Manly, United Food and Commercial Workers
Lunch Provided
Please R.S.V.P. to Amy Haynes, haynesamy@yahoo.com
NASW Action Alert: Support the Foster Care Medicaid Coverage Act of 2007!
Background
Congress is currently considering legislation to extend Medicaid coverage for youth who age out of foster care. The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 1376) will address ways to provide Medicaid coverage for youth who exit the foster care system without a permanent family unit. There are currently 25,000 youth aging out of the foster care system every year who have a variety of unaddressed medical conditions and other challenges because of inadequate health insurance. These include mental and physical disabilities that may result in a lack of educational achievement and financial instability; some youth become homeless.
Beyond funding the direct provision of basic physical health care services, Medicaid currently allows states to provide critical rehabilitative, therapeutic, psychiatric, and targeted case management (TCM) services to children in foster care. Such programs and funding are essential to ensure children in foster care receive the necessary physical and mental health supports while in protective custody.
The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007, introduced by Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) on March 7, 2007, will assist foster care youth in accessing much needed health care. It is in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Health with 15 cosponsors. Congress has an opportunity to make significant progress in improving the lives and outcomes for youth in foster care.
Action Needed
Please contact your Representative and urge them to support The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 1376) and let them know that you are a constituent and a social worker who is committed to this issue. Let them know that this legislation is necessary to provide youth in foster care with appropriate access to medical care.
Contact Nancy McFall Jean, Lobbyist, Government Relations Department at 202-408-8600 x 440 for more information.
Congress is currently considering legislation to extend Medicaid coverage for youth who age out of foster care. The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 1376) will address ways to provide Medicaid coverage for youth who exit the foster care system without a permanent family unit. There are currently 25,000 youth aging out of the foster care system every year who have a variety of unaddressed medical conditions and other challenges because of inadequate health insurance. These include mental and physical disabilities that may result in a lack of educational achievement and financial instability; some youth become homeless.
Beyond funding the direct provision of basic physical health care services, Medicaid currently allows states to provide critical rehabilitative, therapeutic, psychiatric, and targeted case management (TCM) services to children in foster care. Such programs and funding are essential to ensure children in foster care receive the necessary physical and mental health supports while in protective custody.
The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007, introduced by Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) on March 7, 2007, will assist foster care youth in accessing much needed health care. It is in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Health with 15 cosponsors. Congress has an opportunity to make significant progress in improving the lives and outcomes for youth in foster care.
Action Needed
Please contact your Representative and urge them to support The Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 1376) and let them know that you are a constituent and a social worker who is committed to this issue. Let them know that this legislation is necessary to provide youth in foster care with appropriate access to medical care.
Contact Nancy McFall Jean, Lobbyist, Government Relations Department at 202-408-8600 x 440 for more information.
Action Alert Update
ACTION ALERT UPDATE
UPDATE: CALLS STILL NEEDED TO INCREASE VAWA FUNDING!
FY2008 LABOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATION BILL
Last week Congress finished working out the differences between the House and the Senate on their Labor Health and Human Services (LHHS) Appropriations Bill that funds the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program and other Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. This bill provided an increase in RPE funding for FY 2008 to $43.7 million! The bill must now be sent to the President, who has threatened to veto it (more on that below). Members of Congress must hear from you to vote to OVERRIDE President’s veto!
Your calls throughout the year made a difference and ensured that an increase was maintained when the House and Senate compromised on their LHHS bills. As you may recall, the House had level funded RPE while the Senate bill included an increase. Now we must keep our voices strong so Congress knows they must send a message to the President.
…And that’s exactly why we need you to KEEP MAKING CALLS about funding for VAWA programs administered by the US Department of Justice (DOJ)!
Let's ensure another victory for VAWA Funding! Make calls this week before Congress Adjourns for Thanksgiving and a 2-Week “Harvest Recess”!
FY2008 COMMERCE JUSTICE SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
Thanks for making calls in support of the Sexual Assault Services Program as well as all VAWA programs over the last two weeks. You made an impact on the informal negotiating on the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill that funds VAWA programs administered by DOJ!
But the FORMAL negotiating -- where the Members of Congress themselves finish the compromise spending bill – started late last week and will continue into the early part of this week.
IF YOU HAVEN'T CALLED YET, CALL NOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. IF YOU'VE ALREADY CALLED, FORWARD THIS E-MAIL ON TO A FRIEND!
Check the list at the very bottom of this email to see which Senator or Representative to call. The list is in order by STATE. If you live in that state, call the Senator or Representative(s) on the list. Call them THIS WEEK!
Never called your Senators or Representatives before? Don't worry, it's easy!
When you call your Senator or Representative, your call will be answered by a receptionist. Tell him or her that you want to leave a message for the Senator or Representative. The receptionist will take down your message. Tell them:
"Thank you for working so hard to provide funding for the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) as well as funding increases for Violence Against Women Act programs and to raise the cap on the Victims of Crime Act Fund in the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill."
"Please protect the $10 million appropriated to SASP as well as the increases that the House and the Senate have provided for VAWA and VOCA."
If you have time or the opportunity, tell them about why you need more funding:
Sexual assault is a devastating, life-threatening crime that faces our nation. It impacts men, women and children.
VAWA programs work: Tell them about successes in your local programs.
Rape crisis centers do wonderful work but they are underfunded and must place victims, (e.g., children) on waiting lists for services.
Some rape crisis centers are even closing their doors. Tell them about the unmet needs in your community.
THE DETAILS (AND THE VETO THREAT)
VAWA Programs at DOJ
Thanks to YOUR ADVOCACY THIS YEAR, the House of Representatives and the Senate both recognized the urgent need for services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and voted to increase VAWA funding and raise the VOCA cap in their Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills.
Now the House and Senate must resolve the differences in the two versions of their appropriations bills and create one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President. To secure increases for VAWA and VOCA, we must make sure that victims’ voices are heard during this process.
Check out this link for more information on the budget and appropriations process: http://www.naesv.org/Resources/VAWACJSfy2008.pdf
As you will see, for some programs the House has allocated more funding while the Senate has allocated more funding for other programs. We are urging the Representatives and Senators to protect the larger increases in funding for each program.
The calls you made about VAWA and VOCA amendments made a tangible difference in the outcomes of those amendments. Amendments in the House passed by landslide margins!
We are on a roll but we haven't won yet! We need the final CJS Appropriations Bills to include the larger of the House or Senate numbers for each grant program.
VAWA Programs at HHS
The President has made it clear that he will veto this bill, and it does not appear Congress has enough votes to override the veto. This means that Congress must eventually reach a compromise with the White House and pass a second bill with less spending. The more calls we make about VAWA and SASP, the more likely it is that increases in VAWA and SASP will be maintained no matter what compromise is eventually reached. So don’t feel defeated by the veto threat – the only thing that will help us increase funding is your grassroots support.
THANK YOU!!!
Thanks again for all the amazing work you do. We know that you are busy empowering survivors and saving lives every day. Your voices – your stories – help Members of Congress understand the issues that truly impact upon victims and services – and how VAWA and VOCA programs save lives, rebuild families and prevent future crimes.
For more information, contact Ellen Fern (efern@wpllc.net) or Michelle White (mwhite@wpllc.net).
UPDATE: CALLS STILL NEEDED TO INCREASE VAWA FUNDING!
FY2008 LABOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATION BILL
Last week Congress finished working out the differences between the House and the Senate on their Labor Health and Human Services (LHHS) Appropriations Bill that funds the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program and other Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. This bill provided an increase in RPE funding for FY 2008 to $43.7 million! The bill must now be sent to the President, who has threatened to veto it (more on that below). Members of Congress must hear from you to vote to OVERRIDE President’s veto!
Your calls throughout the year made a difference and ensured that an increase was maintained when the House and Senate compromised on their LHHS bills. As you may recall, the House had level funded RPE while the Senate bill included an increase. Now we must keep our voices strong so Congress knows they must send a message to the President.
…And that’s exactly why we need you to KEEP MAKING CALLS about funding for VAWA programs administered by the US Department of Justice (DOJ)!
Let's ensure another victory for VAWA Funding! Make calls this week before Congress Adjourns for Thanksgiving and a 2-Week “Harvest Recess”!
FY2008 COMMERCE JUSTICE SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
Thanks for making calls in support of the Sexual Assault Services Program as well as all VAWA programs over the last two weeks. You made an impact on the informal negotiating on the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill that funds VAWA programs administered by DOJ!
But the FORMAL negotiating -- where the Members of Congress themselves finish the compromise spending bill – started late last week and will continue into the early part of this week.
IF YOU HAVEN'T CALLED YET, CALL NOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. IF YOU'VE ALREADY CALLED, FORWARD THIS E-MAIL ON TO A FRIEND!
Check the list at the very bottom of this email to see which Senator or Representative to call. The list is in order by STATE. If you live in that state, call the Senator or Representative(s) on the list. Call them THIS WEEK!
Never called your Senators or Representatives before? Don't worry, it's easy!
When you call your Senator or Representative, your call will be answered by a receptionist. Tell him or her that you want to leave a message for the Senator or Representative. The receptionist will take down your message. Tell them:
"Thank you for working so hard to provide funding for the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) as well as funding increases for Violence Against Women Act programs and to raise the cap on the Victims of Crime Act Fund in the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill."
"Please protect the $10 million appropriated to SASP as well as the increases that the House and the Senate have provided for VAWA and VOCA."
If you have time or the opportunity, tell them about why you need more funding:
Sexual assault is a devastating, life-threatening crime that faces our nation. It impacts men, women and children.
VAWA programs work: Tell them about successes in your local programs.
Rape crisis centers do wonderful work but they are underfunded and must place victims, (e.g., children) on waiting lists for services.
Some rape crisis centers are even closing their doors. Tell them about the unmet needs in your community.
THE DETAILS (AND THE VETO THREAT)
VAWA Programs at DOJ
Thanks to YOUR ADVOCACY THIS YEAR, the House of Representatives and the Senate both recognized the urgent need for services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and voted to increase VAWA funding and raise the VOCA cap in their Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills.
Now the House and Senate must resolve the differences in the two versions of their appropriations bills and create one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President. To secure increases for VAWA and VOCA, we must make sure that victims’ voices are heard during this process.
Check out this link for more information on the budget and appropriations process: http://www.naesv.org/Resources/VAWACJSfy2008.pdf
As you will see, for some programs the House has allocated more funding while the Senate has allocated more funding for other programs. We are urging the Representatives and Senators to protect the larger increases in funding for each program.
The calls you made about VAWA and VOCA amendments made a tangible difference in the outcomes of those amendments. Amendments in the House passed by landslide margins!
We are on a roll but we haven't won yet! We need the final CJS Appropriations Bills to include the larger of the House or Senate numbers for each grant program.
VAWA Programs at HHS
The President has made it clear that he will veto this bill, and it does not appear Congress has enough votes to override the veto. This means that Congress must eventually reach a compromise with the White House and pass a second bill with less spending. The more calls we make about VAWA and SASP, the more likely it is that increases in VAWA and SASP will be maintained no matter what compromise is eventually reached. So don’t feel defeated by the veto threat – the only thing that will help us increase funding is your grassroots support.
THANK YOU!!!
Thanks again for all the amazing work you do. We know that you are busy empowering survivors and saving lives every day. Your voices – your stories – help Members of Congress understand the issues that truly impact upon victims and services – and how VAWA and VOCA programs save lives, rebuild families and prevent future crimes.
For more information, contact Ellen Fern (efern@wpllc.net) or Michelle White (mwhite@wpllc.net).
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