Judge Roger Vinson issued his ruling in the high profile challenge to the federal health care reform law in a Florida court today. The plaintiffs in this case include governors and attorney generals from 26 states, making this particular challenge to the health care law the most watched. This ruling will likely be appealed. This ruling puts the count at two federal judges ruling the law is unconstitutional and two federal judges upholding the law. As these cases move into the appellate courts, everyone is bracing for a process that could take years to work through. To read the New York Times article about the Florida decision, click here and for more from the Wall Street Journal, click here.
Federal Judge Rules Health Law UnconstitutionalJanuary 31st, 2011Treatment Works… People Recover… The FactsJanuary 31st, 2011
Download: January 2011 One Pager …2 out of 3 Ohioans state that they are impacted by a friend or family member with an addiction and/or mental illness… And many more facts… January 2011 NewsletterJanuary 31st, 2011Download January 2011 NewsletterBehavioral Health Care Saving Lives & Money
HOW DO WE AFFORD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THIS ECONOMY?January 31st, 2011If you have been reading many of Ohio’s major newspapers the past couple of weeks you would have seen a plethora of articles on either the need for mental health services, or the need to address the opiate epidemic in Ohio. Based on the need for behavioral health services, for many people the question is; how do we afford behavioral health services in this economy? On the other hand my question is; how can we afford not to provide alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services? We know going into Ohio’s 2012-2013 biennial budget that leadership must deal with an eight billion dollar deficit, and in order to balance the budget without raising taxes the Governor and Legislators are going to have to make some very difficult and at time emotional choices. What we as advocates have to do, is first understand the difficult position Ohio’s leaders are in, everyone is going to be telling them that their programs are the ones to fund and they will be just as passionate as we are. So, what can we do; we can let the FACTS, and not only our passion drive us. To accomplish this we must help Ohio’s leaders see the FACTS! First and most importantly we must make sure that all Ohio’s leaders understand that investing in alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services is the WISE FISCAL CHOICE! TREATMENT WORKS—PEOPLE RECOVER RECOVERING PEOPLE WORK, AND WORKING PEOPLE PAY TAXES Stay tuned to WWW.OACBHA.ORG; over the next several weeks we are going to be looking at the many different facts on why providing behavioral health services is the WISE FISCAL CHOICE! Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter OACBHA 2010 AwardsJanuary 27th, 2011 Juni Frey and Bill Denihan with Ralph Minter, recipient of the Consumer Advocacy Award and Scott Trobough, recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) announced yesterday its 2010 awards for leadership and advocacy in the fields of mental health and alcohol and other drug addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services. Each year the Association and its 53 member Community Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Boards nominate a Legislator of the Year, President’s Award, and CEO Award, along with recognizing Community ADAMHS Board Members for their outstanding leadership and service. State Representative Ron Amstutz (District 3) earned the Legislator of the Year honor for his 28-year leadership in the Ohio General Assembly, and responsiveness to Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Boards and the Ohioans they serve.  Joe Szoke with Bob Spada, recipient of the President's Partnering for Quality Award Former Senator Robert Spada, an outspoken advocate in support of services and understanding for Ohioans with mental illness, was honored with the President’s Partnering for Quality award from Joseph Szoke, president of OACBHA. Eloise Traina, executive director of Family Recovery Center in Lisbon, Ohio, received the CEO Award for her service as a leader in the addiction and mental illness fields for the past 30 years. For Community Board Members, the 2010 award winners are for: Innovative Leadership – Kathy Kuritar, chairperson of the Montgomery County ADAMH Board; Consumer Advocacy – Ralph Minter, member of the Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board; and as Unsung Hero – Scott Trobough, president of the Paint Valley ADAMH Board. The Paint Valley ADAMH Board serves the counties of Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike, and Ross.
Report: By the NumbersJanuary 27th, 2011The Mental Health Advocacy Coalition and the Center for Community Solutions has released a report to consolidate and highlight existing statewide data on behavioral health to better inform policy decisions. The report is entitled By the Numbers: Developing a Common Understanding for the Future of Behavioral Health Care. To read the report, visit http:// www.communitysolutions.com/assets/1/Page/MHAC_StudyDoc_012011.pdf IMPLEMENTING A GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY PLANJanuary 24th, 2011EDUCATIONThis is the seventh and final in a series of 7 CEO minutes where I have been focusing on the need for all advocates of behavioral health care to come together and roll out a grassroots advocacy plan focused on ensuring a strong alcohol, drug addiction and mental health service system. This week I will focus on the need to continue educating Ohioans on behavioral health issues. The behavioral health system is still misunderstood by many, in fact many people do not even know that when we are talking about behavioral health issues that we are actually talking about mental health and alcohol and other drug issues. Many people do not understand that mental illness and addiction are illnesses, others do not understand the structure of Ohio’s treatment system, and still others are unclear about what they can do to help. Based on all of this, one of the most important things that alcohol, drug addiction and mental health advocates can do is to continue to provide education to Ohio’s policy makes at all levels to help develop a better understanding of mental illness and addiction. Education about the treatment system is also important so that as changes are considered with health care, Medicaid and/or behavioral health funding there is a common understanding among policy makers and the public about the impact of any proposed changes. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? As the 2012-2013 biennial budget or discussed, and as changes in Medicaid and/or health care reform are considered, it remains imperative that behavioral health advocates stay informed, stay engaged, and work with the New Administration and Office of Health Transition while continuing to be the expert voice ensuring that access to behavioral health care is included and considered as a part of all discussions. Have a great week, and don’t forget to VOTE EVERY DAY for the Pepsi Refresh Promote Wellness 4 Behavioral Health project. Go to http://pep.si/h33dp3 and VOTE! You can also text a vote every day by texting 105207 to 73774
Cheri L. Walter U.S. House Votes to Repeal Health Care ReformJanuary 20th, 2011In what’s being called a largely symbolic act, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and all health care provisions included in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Following this vote to repeal, the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate has stated that they will not support repealing the legislation. To read the New York Times article about the vote to repeal, click here. Medical Residents Need More Substance Abuse TrainingJanuary 20th, 2011In a paper released in the Annals of Internal Medicine, each year in the United States more than 100,000 deaths and $300 billion in costs are attributed directly to the use of alcohol and other drugs, yet physicians have not been adequately trained to recognize patients with substance abuse disorders. The authors make five recommendations for integrating addiction medicine into graduate medical education in primary care, in order to help future doctors better identify substance abusers and properly treat and counsel them: Integrate core competencies into residency training; Assign the same priority to teaching about substance use as is given to teaching about common chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease; Enhance faculty development; Provide organizational infrastructure that assumes responsibility for discipline-specific educational, clinical and research activities; and Integrate substance abuse screening and management into routine care. Opiate Epidemic Summit to be Held in AprilJanuary 20th, 2011Opiate use in Ohio has become an epidemic with deadly consequences. For thousands of Ohioans, using heroin or prescription pills to get high has destroyed lives, and communities are also feeling the impact of this addiction. Hold the date of Tuesday, April 12, 2011 to join like-minded colleagues in learning how to stop Ohio’s opiate epidemic from further damaging lives and communities. The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services will co-host “Ohio’s Opiate Epidemic: A Summit on Policy, Prevention & Treatment” on April 12th at the Hyatt Regency, Columbus. Up to 6 continuing education credits may be available for psychologists, social workers, chemical dependency counselors, and other health care professionals. Educational tracks will be specialized for addiction treatment, physicians, criminal justice, prevention, and state policy leaders. Registration will be available by March 1, 2011. Click here to learn more. |
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