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PITTSBURGH, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UPMC for You will be available in six additional counties beginning July 1, 2012, and then in 10 more counties beginning Sept. 1, 2012, as part of an expansion of HealthChoices, Pennsylvania's innovative Medical Assistance managed care program.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/prnewswire/press_releases/Pennsylvania/2012/07/02/NE34536
China Hospital Partnership - Paving the way for "Beating the Blues" in Chinese market 11 July 2012:
Ultrasis, the leading provider of cognitive behavioral therapy for stress and mild to moderate depression, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a research partnership with the Mental Health Services Department of West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
http://www.ultrasis.com/news/article.html?article_id=301
http://eng.cd120.com/index.asp
Americans with mental illness had good reason to celebrate when the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. The law promises to give them something they have never had before: near-universal health insurance, not just for their medical problems but for psychiatric disorders as well.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/health/policy/health-care-law-offers-wider-benefits-for-treating-mental-illness.html?_r=1
Palm Beach USA
But the days of sneaking around may soon be over. The Affordable Care Act, upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, will dramatically change how the mentally ill are treated by doctors and insurance companies, experts say. Historically, mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar and schizophrenia, have been among the top pre-existing conditions insurance companies have used to deny or limit coverage.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/national/new-health-law-to-ease-insurance-access-for-mental/nPns3/
Health Populi’s Hot Points: In the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, computerized CBT programs have become the first-line of depression therapy before prescribing anti-depressant medications. The NHS, constrained by budgets allocated to the UK’s Primary Care Trusts who provide first-line care for British health citizens, are well-advanced in telehealth compared with U.S. providers.
For mild to moderate depression, “psychotropic medication is under greater scrutiny. There are serious questions about efficacy,” Margie Morris of Intel told me. “We need new solutions,” Margie believes.
You can read about those “new solutions” Margie recommends in my paper, The Online Couch: Mental Health Care on the Web, published by California HealthCare Foundation earlier this month. More about the NHS’s cost-effective approach to managing mild to moderate depression through CCBT can be found in theEvidence for tech-enabled behavioral healthsection of the report.
http://medcitynews.com/2012/07/american-doctors-should-follow-english-lead-and-swap-anti-depressants-for-cbt/
5 July 12: The Medicaid expansion would also reduce state spending on mental health services for lower-income and uninsured patients, which has also grown over time. State and local governments covered 42 percent of the cost of state mental health expenditures in 2009, totaling $16.3 billion. That covered mental health services provided by state mental hospitals, emergency ER visits and, increasingly, community health clinics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/05/how-the-medicaid-expansion-also-saves-states-money/
Twitter.....
"How to prescribe the Beating the Blues national e-therapy tool to your patients" workshop starting in 30mins @ 2pm - workshop 50 #GPCME
— Medtech Global (@medtechglobal) June 8, 2012
Flood said the designated mental health agencies most likely will have to add staff to make up new mobile crisis teams. He said this was discussed during the Legislative session when the agencies were given a range of new duties and $8 million in new funding for the statewide system.
http://www.boston.com/business/healthcare/2012/07/02/looks-for-police-mental-health-collaboration/LiKkC7Udq7GYFve4gDKE9J/story.html
22 June 2012 - WASHINGTON (AP) — In confronting a surge of suicides within the military, commanding officers must make it understood that seeking help for the stresses of war should be seen as a sign of strength rather than as a sign of weakness, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday.
http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2012/06/22/panetta-urges-greater-emphasis-on-mental-fitness
http://www.ultrasis.com/news/index.html?category=7
MPs talking openly about their mental health problems have other advantages, too. "I thought the debate last Thursday showed the Commons at its best," Barwell says. "It's hugely to their credit as individuals that they saiad what they had to say. It also makes the case for the bill - that parliament is immeasurably strengthened by having people who have experience of the things we're talking about."
This has been a big breakthrough for parliament, and for the politicians involved, but the mental health battle is going to continue throughout the summer and beyond. Barwell's legislation will next be before the Commons in September - and like many backbench MPs before him he is likely to find persuading the government to act is a much harder proposition than getting it to simply agree.
Mental health care provision is also not guaranteed. Despite all the attention being heaped on the issue at the moment it is competing with many other pressing priorities. With the NHS under intense pressure mental health is an easy target for spending cuts. So efforts to raise its profile will help ensure that existing levels of care continue to be offered, too.
http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2012/06/22/feature-are-we-on-the-edge-of-a-mental-health-breakthrough
North Carolina.
A late change to a bill giving more power to groups that oversee behavioral-health services in the state is raising concerns among advocates because the new language allows oversight groups to gain even more authority than the initial bill did.
The changes would allow a local management entity (LME), such as CenterPoint Human Services, to become a behaviorial health authority after three years of serving as a managed-care organization (MCO) under the "Medicaid" waiver program being rolled out in the state.
The waiver program is intended to combine the management of "Medicaid" and state funds at the community level to reduce costs and add more accountability. MCOs would operate with fewer restrictions on how they manage the mental-health, developmental-disability and substance-abuse providers and services they oversee.
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/jun/18/wsmain01-changes-to-bill-would-give-more-power-to--ar-2364680/
Federal Funds to help vets mental health.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/federal-funds-will-help-veterans_2012-06-15.html
Iowa's 99 counties:
Those county officials blame a new state law that shift control over "Medicaid"
funded mental health services from counties to the state. The change is part of larger reforms of Iowa's mental health care system designed to make services more uniform, in part by taking control away each of Iowa's 99 counties.
In the past, counties used local property taxes and state money to fund their part of "Medicaid" a federal program that pays for medical and other services for low-income people. Many are elderly or have disabilities.
Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/administrator-new-law-won-t-hurt-northeast-iowa-mental-health/article_ce275382-6916-5abd-b8d2-a175ff8f5ba7.html#ixzz1xuDpmeG0
CNN.
"Being unemployed is actually one of the most difficult, most devastating experiences that people go through," said Robert L. Leahy, director of the American Insitiute for Cognitive Therapy and author of "The Worry Cure."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/money/31190280/detail.html
Western Australia.
The funding, which will provide housing and help fund a 24-hour emergency and support service for mentally ill children and their families, was announced by federal Mental Health Minister Mark Butler in Perth on Thursday. The money is part of the $200 million National Partnership Agreement on Mental Health.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8483676
Washington.
Under questioning from a Senate panel on Wednesday, Panetta disclosed that he had asked the Air Force and Navy, which includes the Marine Corps, TO follow the LEAD of the ARMY in launching an independent study of how it evaluates soldiers with possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Panetta's answer marked the first time that the Pentagon chief had said publicly that he had Requested the review by ALL the services.
http://www.wset.com/story/18780816/pentagon-chief-orders-review-of-mental-diagnoses
Montana VA anticipates the majority of mental health clinicians and support staff will be hired locally within approximately six months and the most difficult-to-fill positions hired by the end of the year. To speed the hiring process, VA developed the Mental Health Hiring Initiative to improve marketing, recruitment and hiring efforts for mental health professionals so that the new 1,600 mental health providers can be hired as quickly as possible.
The VA currently treats 1.3 million veterans for mental health problems, including an estimated 400,000 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/va-montana-to-add-mental-health-clinicians-support-personnel/article_4bfb9e6a-b5cb-11e1-afec-001a4bcf887a.html
Beating The Blues
This program will provide participants with an understanding of the nature of depression and anxiety and develop skills and techniques to manage symptoms more effectively.
http://www.dva.gov.au/health_and_wellbeing/health_programs/vvcs/services/Pages/group.aspx
MASON CITY — One of North Iowa’s leading mental health care officials supports recent funding changes made by the Iowa Legislature.
A new state law shifts control over Medicaid-funded mental health services from counties to the state. The change is part of larger reforms of Iowa’s mental health care system designed to make services more uniform.
http://globegazette.com/news/local/n-i-mental-health-official-supports-state-changes/article_88439ba0-b50f-11e1-bd9d-001a4bcf887a.html
Montana VA Hospitals 8 hours ago.
Five mental health clinicians and two support personnel will be hired for VA Montana Health Care System as part of a nationwide effort to bolster mental health services in VA hospitals and clinics.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_7a34d680-737f-552e-b8ac-ca5973721a17.html#ixzz1xeziydMt
Paul Anthony Bell increases holdings to 10%
http://www.ultrasis.com/news/article.html?article_id=299
Lawmakers this year are putting additional touches on another makeover from last year that will further regionalize the administration of services and create a form of managed care for "Medicaid" patients rarely used in other states. The government agencies will essentially become public-sector insurance companies. About $2 billion in state and federal money is spent treating more than 300,000 consumers combined 12 June 12.
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/06/nc-lawmakers-direct-another-mental-health-overhaul
California Healthcare Foundation June 2012..
Beating the Blues Computerized cbt (CBT) is computer cognitive behaviour therapy programme for depression and anxiety, developed at Kings College London by Dr Judy Proufoot.
The success of btb in the UK has led health systems in other countries - Australia - New Zealand - Netherlands - Egypt and Malta have adopted the program 2012 btb hit the shores of America, being adopted by the University Of Pittsburgh Medical Centre.
http://www.chcf.org/publications/2012/06/online-couch-mental-health
Bluegrass is chiefly funded by the Kentucky Health and Family Services Cabinet, which last year paid it $126.2 million, plus $32.5 million in Medicaid.
http://www.kentucky.com/2012/06/11/2220684/bluegrass-mental-health-board.html#storylink=cpy
Marion joins three counties for mental health service
To avoid being forced into a partnership with counties of the State's choosing, the Marion County Board of Supervisors this morning agreed to create a new, mental health district with Mahaska, Jasper and Poweshiek counties.
http://journalexpress.net/breakingnews/x1318682550/Marion-joins-three-counties-for-mental-health-service
It's not just their physical health, like cardiovascular screening and joint replacements, it's expanding of the mental health resources. How do we help identify somebody that may need help, get that help to them and what are the resources that he has? ... There's still that stigma that mental health is a weakness. It's not. Depression, anxiety, these are very common and can be dealt with in a variety of different fashions. Some with medicine, some with counseling, some with other forms of assistance. When they're not dealt with, they have a tendency to spiral and to become much more complicated.''
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/06/10/mmqb/index.html#ixzz1xV8uiEBB
2012 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. SI.com is part of CNN Digital Network...
The Associated Press Kentucky.
Mental health agency 'expands' despite tough times LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Lexington-based agency that provides mental health services in 17 Kentucky counties is prospering in tough economic times, and its top executives are being well compensated.
http://www.wjactv.com/news/ap/health/news-briefs-from-around-kentucky-at-258-am-edt/nPQds/
Spending money to save and make money is hardly a foreign concept to household budgets. The same basic thinking applies to the false economy of slashing social-service budgets in tough times. Ideologically driven austerity on unemployment insurance, public health and housing and "mental-health" care only cause other government and social costs to soar. Think emergency room visits, street crime, law enforcement and jail costs.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/06/11/1981579/lance-dickie-money-spent-on-infrastructure.html#storylink=cpy
Two Alabama researchers are getting $12.3 million in grant money from the BP oil spill court settlement and will use the money to improve health outreach programs on the Gulf Coast. 10 June 2012.
http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/Alabama_Researchers_Receive_BP_Settlement__158371305.html
Talking therapies: a four year plan of action Feb 2012.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_123759
Telemedicine: Healthcare's Affordable New Frontier
Gerald Malone
Chairman, Ultrasis PLC – provider of CBT programme, "Beating the Blues"
Co-Chairman, U Squared Interactive – provider of Beating the Blues US
Former UK Minister of State for the Department of Health
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/06/04/EDJ61OSIUE.DTL
Netherlands
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Clinical-trials/Pages/clinical-trial-details.aspx?TrialId=NTR2621&Condition=beating
Australia
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Clinical-trials/Pages/clinical-trial-details.aspx?TrialId=ACTRN12609000926235&Condition=beating
America
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Clinical-trials/Pages/clinical-trial-details.aspx?TrialId=NCT01605552&Condition=beating
England
http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN98677176
Beating The Blues National Health Service Trials.
Public title: Individualised patient support as an adjunct to computerised self help for depression: factorial randomised controlled trial of brief vs. extended support given by clinicians vs. assistants.
http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN98677176
It looks like NHS Norfolk is taking a keen interest in reducing costs beyond implementation of Beating The Blues.
Mental Health America
¦Cognitive (talk therapy) and behavioral (changing behavior) therapies aim at relieving the despair of suicidal patients by showing them other solutions to their problems and new ways to think about themselves and their world. Behavioral methods, such as training in assertiveness, problem-solving, social skills, and muscle relaxation, may reduce depression, anxiety, and social ineptitude.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/suicide
Mental health has been called the orphan of medicare, the last area served and the first one cut.
Experts say there's been progress. Mental health issues are receiving more attention and there is a national discussion going on about how to improve the system.
But there's little doubt we have a mountain of work ahead - and that includes addressing our own prejudices.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Seskus+doing+enough+about+mental+illness/6706091/story.html
Youth programs and human services such as medical and mental health care in the city of Santa Fe will get nearly $2 million worth of taxpayer money during the fiscal year beginning July 1.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Youth--human-services-to-get--2M-from-city