Information related to managed care, behavioral health, Medicare, sustainability, and other administrative issues

Foundation Pledges Additional $60 Million for Juvenile Justice Programs

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced that it will increase its support for Models for Change, a project that creates reform models designed to improve the juvenile justice system, by $60 million. Of this money, $10 million will be spent on funding juvenile justice reform efforts in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, and Washington. The money will also be used to support projects focusing on the mental-health needs of juvenile offenders and the over-representation of minorities in the juvenile-justice system. Current programs already implemented by Models for Change include reforms addressing racial and ethnic disparities, mental health, alternatives to incarceration, aftercare, indigent defense, transfers to adult court, and integration of the juvenile-justice, mental-health, and child-welfare systems.

To learn more, visit the following sites

• http://www.jointogether.org/news/funding/trends/2007/foundation-pledges-additional.html
• http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.1139553/apps/nl/content3.asp?content_id=%7BA40D06B2-FE72-4E58-9CC8-0B6E0E96F186%7D&notoc=1

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Idaho Considering Graphic Ad Campaign to Combat Meth Use

Officials in Idaho are considering using the Montana’s Meth Project as a model to discourage youth from methamphetamine abuse. The Montana Meth Project, which was started two year ago, uses hard-hitting advertisements on Montana billboards, newspapers and radio and television stations aimed at youth aged 12 to 17 to depict the harsh consequences of methamphetamine use. A recent study showed a decrease of methamphetamine abuse, which the State’s attorney generally attributes to the ad campaign. Idaho officials say they plan to line up local sponsors to pay for the campaign.

To learn more, go to
http://www.idahopress.com/articles/2007/01/31/news/news2.txt

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Mental Health Legislation Gains Momentum in 110th Congress

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to bring mental health parity legislation up for a floor vote later this year. Mental health parity legislation has had majority support in the past, but has been blocked by House leadership in recent years. Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy and Jim Ramstad are preparing to reintroduce the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, which would require equity for mental health in group health plans and safeguard against increased co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for mental health care. Ramstad, Kennedy, and Representative Pete Stark have also introduced another key piece of mental health legislation, the Keeping Families Together Act, on January 24. This bill would improve the children's mental health system and would provide $100 million in grants to States to help parents obtain necessary mental health treatment for children with mental illness.

For more information, go to
http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/monitoronline-issueHL.asp?ISSUEID=125#HL_559

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Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 Passed

The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-288) reauthorized the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program (PSSF) through fiscal year 2011. The Act continued the current authorized funding levels for PSSF of $305 million in mandatory funding and $200 million in discretionary funding (i.e., subject to annual appropriations).
Some key provisions include:

• Increasing the set-asides for Indian Tribes to 3% of appropriated funds and
  allowing groups of Tribes to form consortia to jointly apply for funding
• Reserving funds for States to develop activities designed to improve caseworker retention, recruitment, training, and ability to access the benefits of technology, as well as to support monthly caseworker visits to children in foster care
• Supporting services that promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children who are in out-of-home care or at risk of placement as a result of parent or caretakers use of methamphetamine or other substances

To learn more about the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/policy/im/im0605.htm

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NIDA Launches Drug Info 'Centers of Excellence'

Four new "Centers of Excellence for Physician Information," established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), are designed to support addiction awareness, prevention and treatment in primary-care practices. Audiences for the centers include medical students and primary-care residents, including internists, family physicians, and pediatricians. The American Medical Association's (AMA) Research Education Consortium helped develop the centers. The four centers will open this year at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska; the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (in collaboration with Drexel University College of Medicine); the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and the Massachusetts Consortium of Medical Schools (which includes the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance). More centers are planned for the future, as well.

For more information, visit
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/nida-25a.htm