| The Healthy People 2010 coordinators would like to thank
the thirteen individuals who participated in the public comment segment specifically
related to the mental health section. Many specific points were captured and will be
distributed to the workgroup members. Three major
themes were discussed.
Overview Section
- The chapter goal could be re-written to include the
following underlined area: "Improve the mental health of all Americas by ensuring
access to culturally competent appropriate, high-quality services informed by scientific
research."
- "Dynamics of the Problem" segment needs to include
concerns raised about managed care organizations who (a.) Define "medical
necessity" so narrowly that psychosocial treatments for persons with serious mental
illness are restricted or denied (b.) "Carve out" the behavioral health services
thereby minimizing the cost offsets gained by the diagnosis and treatment of mental
disorders in relation to the utilization of general medical services and (c.) Have a
policy of not reimbursing primary care providers to screen for mental health problems
which will serve as a barrier to the identification and treatment of mental disorders.
Draft Objectives
- The first objective (Reduce suicides to no more than 9.6 per
100,000 people.) was discussed at length. Several individuals stated that it needed to be
viewed as a national health problem deserving of the highest priority. Issues related to
access to services, public awareness of the problem, and the need to increase the funds to
design new research methodologies to study suicide were discussed as possible strategies.
It was suggested that the target to reduce to 9.6 per 100,000 needed to be reduced further
so it is considerably lower than the best select population. Participants raised the issue
of setting more "realistic" goals for select populations.
THOSE WHO ATTENDED:
Robert Bohlman, Director
Office of Gov't Relations
NAMI
200 N Glebe Road, Suite 1015
Arlington, VA 22203-3735
Phone: (703) 516-7997
Fax: (703) 524-9094
Email: Bobb@Nami.org
(Surrogate for Dr. Laura Lee Hall (703) 524-7600 Lhalll@Nami.org)
Joyce Haas
American Academy of Family Physicians
880 Ward Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64114
Phone: (816) 333-9700 x5540
Email: jhras@aafp.org
GGil Hill, Directo
America Psychological Association
Office of Rural Health
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5857
Fax: 336-5797
Email: jghill@apa.org
Doris Luclanbill, President
National Association of School Nurses
P.O. Box 1300
Scarborough, Maine 04070
Phone: (207) 883-2117
Email: NASN@aol.com
David Mahrer, Ph.D.
Deputy DirectorSouth Carolina Department of Mental Health
2414 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29202
Phone: (803) 898-8574
Sandra McElhaney, MA
Special Assistant to the President
National Mental Health Association
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
301-838-7506
Denis Nissim-Sabat
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: (202) 336-6104
Email: Dnissim@apa.org
Drena Reaves-Bey, MPA
DOH, OMCH, DC HealthyStart
2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20032
Phone: (202) 645-4178
Fax: (202) 562-5084
Gail Ritchie, M.S.W.
SAMHSA
Center for Mental Health Services
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18C-07
Rockville, MD 20857
310-443-7790
Jane Ryan, President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
1200 19th Street N.W., Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 857-1133
Fax: (202) 223-4579
Email: Jryan69765@aol.com
www.apna.org
Fred Seitz, Ph.D.
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(301) 436-3548
Dorita Sewell, Ph.D.
Healthy People Coordinator and Steering Committee Member
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
301-443-6067
Andrea Stephensen
Washington Consumer Advocacy
18207 85th Avenue Ct. E.
Pugallup, Washington 98373
Phone & Fax: (253) 847-8687
amdma@u.washington.edu
Gerald (Jerry) H. Weyrauch
Elsie P. Weyrauch
Founders, SPAN
(Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network)
5034 Odin's Way
Marietta, GA 30068
1 800-649-1366
Fax: 770-624-1419
e-mail: act@spanusa.org |