A SPOUSE, A SISTER, or a brother suffers an acute mental health crisis. Family members call 911 as a last resort. A Boston Globe analysis reports that these calls—there are a lot of them—initiate chains of events that can (and, on an average of five times each year in Massachusetts, do) culminate in a fatal police […]
mental health
Posted inOpinion
Incorporate mental health education into phys ed curriculum
GROWING UP IN MASSACHUSETTS, I witnessed the devastating impact of mental illness on individuals, families, and communities. After the death of a close friend to suicide, I sought to advocate for positive change within our mental health system. This legislative session, with S. 240 and H. 497, the Commonwealth has the opportunity to invest in […]
Posted inHealth Care
House plans vote on mental health bill
THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE on Thursday plans to vote on a mental health bill that would improve access to mental health care, particularly for children, while ensuring that the health care system treats mental and physical health care equally. The House bill builds on a major bill that the Senate passed in November and includes many […]
Posted inOpinion
Companies are recognizing value of mental health supports
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS provides an opportunity to recognize the constructive role that the business community plays in addressing the mental health needs of workers and highlights practical new opportunities to improve the lives of our colleagues and their families. COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption of business for employers, but its impact may be even greater […]
Posted inOpinion
Youth mental health trends are alarming
AS WE FACE the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is little doubt that the effect on our mental health has been profound. For young people – teens and young adults just learning how to navigate the present and plan for the future – the stakes are particularly high. So high, in fact, that […]
Posted inHealth Care
Staffing woes plague mental health agencies
THERE IS NO question that the residential treatment facilities operated by The Home for Little Wanderers for teenagers with mental health problems are desperately needed. The current mental health crisis among even more fortunate children has been well-documented, and the Home for Little Wanderers deals primarily with children who have been removed from their homes. […]
Posted inHealth Care
Senate unveils major mental health bill
LEADERS IN THE Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive mental health bill, which would set a floor for the rates insurers must pay for mental health services, address the emergency department boarding crisis, and require insurers to cover more mental health services, including an annual wellness exam. “We believe this important bill would put […]
Posted inHealth Care
Senate ARPA bill includes $400m investment in mental health
LEADERS IN THE Massachusetts Senate will unveil a plan on Wednesday to spend $400 million improving the mental health system, part of a larger proposal for how to spend federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The centerpiece of the plan will be $122 million to repay the loans of nearly 2,000 mental health […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting 911 right for mental health emergencies
IF YOU’VE EVER called 911 for a medical crisis, you likely received the response you expected and needed. An ambulance with trained emergency medical technicians arrived to assist, with competence and compassion in your home and on the way to the hospital. If you’ve called 911 for a mental health emergency, however, the response likely […]
Posted inHealth Care
For pediatric mental health patients, days stuck in the ER
JILL CUMMINGS’ SON is a smart, loving 13-year-old with serious impulse control problems and mental health diagnoses that include ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. The West Boylston teen, who is not being named to protect his privacy, lives in a residential special educational school – an environment in which he often becomes destructive, pulling fire […]