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Mental Health Monday

Week of January 30, 2012

 

Did you make a new year’s resolution to make a difference?  2012 will give us lots of opportunities to advocate for better mental health and substance abuse treatment in our local community, state, and nation. 

 

Here are some suggestions for this week.  Please note that your assignment, should you choose to accept it, vary depending on your county of residence.  Please scroll down for further instructions.

  • Dallas County residents should advocate for transparency at Parkland.
  • Rockwall County residents should send a note of congratulations to the Rockwall County Sherriff’s Office, especially to Lt. Todd Calkins.
  • All advocates should be sure to send in your comments to the statewide study of the Texas behavioral health system. 

 

DallasCountyresidents:

Numerous quality of care and patient safety problems at Parkland Hospital have been in the news in recent months.  As part of the improvement plan required by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Parkland hired the firm of Alvarez and Marsal Healthcare Industry Group to analyze Parkland operations; outline areas of improvement; develop an improvement plan and oversee compliance. 

 

Parkland is a public hospital, and this contract costs Dallas County taxpayers approximately $7 million.  However, Parkland leadership has publicly expressed reluctance to make the report public.

 

  • Please write to the Parkland Board of Managers and ask them to release the Alvarez and Marsal report that was submitted last Friday, and the corrective action plan due on February 3.
  • Please write to your Dallas County Commissioner and ask him or her to instruct the Parkland Board of Managers to release the report immediately, with a special thank you note to County Judge Clay Jenkins for his outspoken leadership on this issue.

 

ParklandBoard of Managers—5201 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas  75235

Debbie Branson, Chair of the Quality of Care and Patient Safety Committee

Jerry Bryant

Roberto De La Cruz, M.D.

Patricia Rodriguez Gorman

Lauren McDonald, M.D., Chair of the Board of Managers

Eddie Reeves

Cobie Russell

Thomas C. Royer, M.D., Interim CEO

 

 

Dallas County Commissioners Court—411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas  75202

County Judge Clay Jenkins

Maurine Dickey, Commissioner Precinct 1

Mike Cantrell, Commissioner Precinct 2

John Wiley Price, Commissioner Precinct 3

Dr. Elba Garcia, Commissioner Precinct 4

 

 

RockwallCountyresidents:  

Please write 2 notes this week.

  • A note of congratulations and thanks to Lt. Todd Calkins of the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department, winner of the National Sherriff’s Association Corrections/Jail Innovation of the Year Award at their recent annual conference.  This award is given for creative and innovative thinking and achievement in developing innovative processes, projects and procedures that contribute to the improvement of the jail environment in security, safety, custody and jail operations. 

 

Lt. Calkins recognized that mental illness and substance abuse disorders is a critical factor for many inmates of Rockwall County Jail.  He took this issue on as a project to improve the Rockwall County Jail and assembled local stakeholders to form an advisory committee.  Significant improvements have been made in the assessment and treatment for people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders in the Rockwall County Jail.  In addition, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office hosted the first ever Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) class for law enforcement officers in Rockwall County last year, and plans are underway for the 2012 class.

 

  • Rockwall County Sherriff Rockwall County Sheriff Harold Eavenson deserves a note of thanks as well, for without his support, the above would not have been possible.

 

The address for each note is:  972 T.L. Townsend-Rockwall, Texas  76087

 

All Advocates: 

The Texas Legislature has authorized a study of the state’s behavioral health care system and has contracted with a private firm, Public Consulting Group (PCG) to conduct the study.  PCG is conducting stakeholder meetings and is collecting stakeholder ideas and opinions, especially but not limited to the issues of:

  • Access
  • Quality
  • Integration
  • Coordination
  • Funding

Please send your thoughts in writing to txbhstudy@pcgus.com.   Materials related to the study may be viewed at http://www.publicconsultinggroup.com/client/txdshs

 

 

 

 

MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY

is weekly update on advocacy actions needed to improve access to and quality of behavioral health services at the national, state and local levels.  Our priorities are:

  1. Mental health and substance abuse services;
  2. Housing for people with mental illness and co-occurring disorders;
  3. Programs that promote recovery and prevent recidivism.

 

 

Thank you very much for your advocacy efforts on this week!

 

 To receive your weekly copy of Mental Health Monday,  please contact

Janie Metzinger, Public Policy Director

JMetzinger@mhadallas.org or (214) 871-2420, Ext. 114

 

To find Mental Health Monday  on the Mental Health America of Greater Dallas website, go to   www.mhadallas.org and click on Get Involved.

 

Please share Mental Health Monday with other advocates

 

                                            Changing Minds…

                     Improving Lives

 

Mental Health America of Greater Dallas,

624 N. Good-Latimer, #200,

Dallas, Texas  75204