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Autism, developmental disorders 'major epidemics' for children
The incoming head of the nation’s leading group of pediatricians says that autism and other developmental conditions are among the biggest health concerns facing American children.
When ‘de-institutionalization’ goes overboard
My adult daughter suffered profound brain damage at birth due to a bungled delivery.
News from Louisiana: Sheriff responds to mental-health service reductions
Reports that a Pearl River man who allegedly killed his father after a domestic dispute early Tuesday had been released from a Bogalusa psychiatric facility weeks prior to the event moved Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal to comment on the state of mental health care.
News from New Mexico: Treated like product, not people
A Clovis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to “enhancing the lives of people with disabilities” amassed more than $13 million in assets in recent years, records show. Its past president and CEO received nearly $1 million in compensation in 2010 alone. But five of the agency’s longtime clients contend the profits – mostly derived from government funding – came at their expense.
Pirate musical is a happy time at Sonoma Developmental Center
I was lucky enough to be invited to see the Sonoma Developmental Center’s production of a pirate musical called “A-A-A-R-R-R-GH.”
News from Illinois: Review board opposes closing Jacksonville Developmental Center
The staff of the state board that will have the final vote on the fate of the Jacksonville Developmental Center opposes its closure.
Prop. 32's real purpose is to cripple labor unions politically
Proposition 32 is stark proof that often you can tell a ballot initiative by its cover.
Who's who of the rich and powerful behind Proposition 32
The main premise of Proposition 32 is that it would stamp out the influence of special interest groups, equally condemning corporations and unions to irrelevancy at the Capitol while ushering in a new day for regular folks. But a look at who is behind the initiative shows that it's hardly Joe Lunch Pail who has a rooting interest in the measure, dubbed "Stop Special Interest Money Now."
Study shows children with autism tend to stray
When Patrick Murphy was 6, he became obsessed with vacuum cleaners. The boy, who has autism, used to slip out of his house near Buffalo without telling his parents, running to a nearby appliance store or into strangers’ homes to marvel at vacuum cleaners.
DSM autism update may have little impact, study finds
In the largest study yet examining proposed changes to the autism diagnosis, researchers say far fewer people would be cut from the spectrum than previous studies have suggested.
California's state hospitals mostly released from U.S. oversight
A U.S. District Court judge Monday released the state's mental hospitals from federal oversight on all but one issue — a significant step in ending a costly six-year reform effort.
Contraband fight gets a boost
Each of the state’s five mental hospitals, including Atascadero State Hospital, now have the legal tools to ban certain contraband items from inside their facilities.
News from Illinois: Time running out for JDC residents to find new homes
New poll: Hope fades for measure barring political contributions; tax measures are touch-and-go
A labor-backed advertising blitz in recent weeks appears to be turning voters against Proposition 32, the ballot measure that would bar unions, corporations and government contractors from using payroll deductions for political purposes, according to a new poll.
Secretary of State delivers online voter registration
Application at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.
Napa State Hospital employee solves lanyard problem
A Napa State Hospital worker has pulled off the solution to a troubling problem -- how to carry the emergency alarms employees must wear.
Calif. governor signs workers' compensation fixes
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday intended to reduce workers' compensation costs for California businesses while increasing benefits to workers injured on the job.
ASH staffers spat on, cut and bruised, latest report says
News from New Jersey: Former NJ disability official cites dangers of transferring developmental-center residents to community
A former State official who directed services for people with developmental disabilities in New Jersey has declared that New Jersey's plan to close two developmental centers and place the residents in the community is flawed and presents unacceptable risks.
Atascadero State Hospital to report fewer violent incidents
Attack at Napa State Hospital leads to change in alarm policy
One day after a patient attempted to choke a Napa State Hospital employee, officials announced Thursday that staff members at the psychiatric facility who were ordered to wear new safety alarms on lanyards around their necks will soon have the option of carrying the devices on a belt-loop clip.
Napa State Hospital to roll out new alarm system
It's been nearly 22 months since Napa State Hospital psychiatric technician Donna Gross was strangled by a patient on the aging facility's fenced grounds, where staff alarms do not function.
News from North Carolina: Mental hospital's closure reduces options
More than 156 years after the state opened its first hospital for the mentally ill, the last patients will leave its campus this week.
California builds the nation's largest prison medical facility
California is building the largest prison medical facility in the nation — and it’s doing it at a record clip. That’s because the state has to comply with a federal court order to improve health care for inmates.
Delayed Napa State alarm system should ‘go live’ in August
Napa State Hospital’s new wireless alarm system that will be worn by employees will not be operational until later this summer, according to state officials.
Study: State-hospital closures' adverse effects
The number of public hospital beds for people in acute psychiatric crisis plunged in 2010 to levels not seen since 1850...
News from Massachusetts: Vote ensures Taunton State Hospital stays open, for now
Despite threats by Gov. Deval Patrick to shut it down for good, Taunton State Hospital will stay open, at least for the foreseeable future, with 45 inpatient beds.
Caregivers of people with profound intellectual disabilities need options, not abandonment
It’s hard for average families to fathom what would drive a mother to abandon her disabled daughter, as reported by the Daily Herald, a Suburban Chicago newspaper (“Algonquin mom: Leaving disabled woman in Tennessee was best,” July 7).
Patton State Hospital employees contribute to the local community
Over the last year, Patton State Hospital employees have contributed over $42,000 to support programs throughout the local community.
'Right on schedule' -- Massive prison medical facility pushes toward July 2013 opening
With the first inmate patient due to arrive at the California Health Care Facility in a little more than a year, construction at the sprawling prison/medical center in southeast Stockton is fast approaching its expected peak.
Ex-consultant to Calif. state hospitals criticized elsewhere
A consultant who led the troubled effort to overhaul California's public psychiatric hospitals has played a lead role in federal reforms in at least five other states...
News from Vermont: After cuts, mentally ill sleep in dumpsters
Federal judge lays out plan to return control of state prisons to California
A federal judge proposed a plan Wednesday to relinquish control of California’s prison medical care after nearly seven years.
NSH safety bill dying in the Legislature
A proposed law to increase safety at Napa State Hospital in the wake of the 2010 murder of psychiatric technician Donna Gross is unlikely to make it out of the Legislature due to budget constraints, legislative staff say.
DeWitt funds approved; tower assemblies arrive
California officials this week approved funding for the renovation of the mothballed DeWitt Nelson Youth Correctional Facility in southeast Stockton, preparing it to house state prison inmates who need mental health treatment.
CAPT Porterville Chapter president decries article's sensationalism
I think I speak for many of my coworkers and residents’ families when I say I was greatly taken aback by the Porterville Recorder’s sensationalism regarding the work we do to rehabilitate our forensic clients, preparing them to return to their home communities.
News from Virginia: Federal judge allows families to intervene in settlement for the disabled
The complexion of a $2 billion, 10-year settlement between the state and the Department of Justice involving the closing of state training centers for the disabled could be significantly altered by a decision to allow families opposing the settlement to intervene.
Napa State psychiatric technician reportedly attacked; patient arrested
A patient was arrested in connection with an assault Tuesday at Napa State Hospital, a spokeswoman for the state psychiatric facility said Wednesday.
California calls are urgently needed for residential-choice bill
House Resolution 2032 is a federal bill that, if passed, will restore decision-making rights of developmental center residents and their families and guardians in certain federal-funded lawsuits aimed at closing developmental centers.
50 years of data confirm benefit of antipsychotics
More than 50 years of data show that people with schizophrenia who take antipsychotic drugs lower their risk of relapse, a new study suggests.
Death of Napa State patient investigated
The Napa County Sheriff’s coroner is investigating the death of a Napa State Hospital patient who died Tuesday after he was given a shot to calm him down, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office said.
Movement still restricted for ASH patients
A spokesperson for Atascadero State Hospital says patients are still facing additional restrictions following a series of incidents in late March.
Family fun at Sonoma Developmental Center festival
News from New Jersey: Women's guardians scorch Gov. Christie
Three NSH staff injured during incidents
A Napa State Hospital patient was arrested...
News from Virginia: Virginia's training centers serve many well
It was gratifying to read in The Free Lance-Star of the obvious sympathy for the family of Vernon Jones, the boy who finally received a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver slot after years of waiting ["Waiver settlement is blessing for mother, son," April 11].
Five more employees attacked this month at Atascadero State Hospital
Five employees at Atascadero State Hospital have reportedly been attacked at the facility since April 4, according to emails by hospital spokesman Craig Dacus.
News from Illinois: Area's Small Group Home Operator Says Governor 'Could Be No More Wrong' In Closing Murray Center
Normally the President of the Penta organization says he would be on the side of closing a large developmental facility like the Murray Center. But Greg Shaver says not this time. He feels the Governor could not be more wrong.
'Exceptional people with extraordinary hearts'
Exceptional people with extraordinary hearts — that is how the Porterville Developmental Center described its volunteers Tuesday during its annual Volunteer/Donor Recognition Luncheon and Awards held in the Carl F. Brodrick Auditorium at Porterville Developmental Center.
Four weeks later, Atascadero State Hospital still on lockdown
Atascadero State Hospital remained on lockdown Tuesday...
California state hospitals plagued by peril
When Garth Webb was sent to Napa State Hospital, his parents were relieved.
News from New Jersey: More families react to Christie's proposal to close NJ developmental centers
In recent weeks, I have been inundated with telephone calls and email messages from the families of residents of New Jersey’s developmental center.
Costly Calif. juvenile program has strong backers
Dozens of teenage boys dressed in hunter-green polo shirts and khaki pants line up outside one-story concrete classrooms waiting to walk to their next period.
News from Illinois: Reconsider closure of state facilities
I am writing in opposition to the closure of Murray Developmental Center in Centralia. My son has lived in this facility for the past 20 years. It was not our first choice. It was our last resort, as others have stated.
Task force seeks to change mental health commitment law
A homeless man plagued by schizophrenia is beaten to death by police in Fullerton. A man from Fort Bragg fixates on aliens for years while denying he is ill, then kills two men before dying in a gunfight with law enforcement.
News from Massachusetts: Decision to close Taunton State Hospital is ill-conceived
There's been a lot of commentary from all sides concerning the planned closing of Taunton State Hospital, a revered institution serving the needs of the emotionally disturbed for 150 years.
News from Connecticut: Reopen Southbury Training School Admissions
Stan and Kathy Peters of Killingworth are facing the daunting task of finding a residential placement for their grown daughter, Sarah, 28, who is intellectually disabled.
Lockdown at Atascadero State Hospital is still in effect
A lockdown remains in effect at Atascadero State Hospital following a series of incidents involving patients and employees.
Is California juvenile correction so bad? Bill Sessa says, 'No'
In 2005, California's juvenile prison system got a face lift.
Norwalk hospital employees voice concerns about safety, layoffs
Potential layoffs and safety concerns bought dozens of Metropolitan State Hospital employees to march in protest Wednesday...
News from Illinois: Community care not best option for all
I must respond to the recent editorial, "Address JDC fears, make care transition," on behalf of families whose lives will be turned upside down unless the proposed closure of two state developmental centers is stopped.
Task force calls for mental-illness treatment reform
A new reportissued Sunday indicates that California’s mental illness laws discriminate against people with the most severe illnesses by leaving them without access to treatments they need.
3 nursing staff members injured while containing patient at Atascadero State Hospital
Atascadero State Hospital confirms to KSBY News that three employees were injured on Wednesday after they were assaulted by a patient.
Napa State patient arrested for investigation of assault
A Napa State Hospital patient was arrested Sunday night...
'Laura's Law' extension will help save lives
Hardly a day seems to pass lately without a killing in which untreated mental illness was a factor making headlines...
News from Texas: Poor results on settlement scorecard do not mean level of care is substandard
Staff cuts planned at Napa State Hospital
The California Department of Mental Health has notified dozens of Napa State Hospital employees...
News from Illinois: Silent voices at JDC
Jacksonville Developmental Center worker Phillip Lashbrook wrote the things he has seen and his thoughts on the changes proposed for the center.
ASH employee assaulted
A spokesperson for Atascadero State Hospital says another employee has been assaulted by a patient.
News from Virginia: Families Unite to Save Virginia Training Centers, Ask Federal Judge for a Voice in Court
Families have taken a stand in Virginia, today calling on a federal court to allow them to participate in an action they believe violates the rights of their family members with profound intellectual disabilities and will cause irrevocable harm.
Atascadero State Hospital reports rise in injury assaults
The number of assaults resulting in injury to staff at Atascadero State Hospital has more than doubled in the past seven years, new figures show.
News from Illinois: Psychiatric patients with no place to go but jail
The sounds of chaos bounce off the dim yellow walls.
EDITORIAL: State mental health plan is too dangerous
So here's the plan, as we understand it...
News from Ohio: Sheriff closes jail to violent mentally ill
Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander plans to announce today that the county jail no longer will accept violent mentally ill and mentally disabled people arrested by area police — perhaps becoming the first facility in the country with such a policy.
Crowding hampers L.A. County hospitals' handling of mentally ill
Psychiatric patients at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center often sleep on mattresses on the floor.
News from Illinois: Parents of JDC residents worry about children's future
News from New Jersey: Governor Christie views developmentally disabled individuals as 'pot of money'
The burning issue regarding the potential closing of developmental centers for people with developmental disabilities has quieted down but not gone away.
National advocacy group slams plan to close Virginia developmental centers
News from Virginia: Parents blast decision to close training centers
Parents of children who live in Virginia's Training Centers blasted the Justice Department for the decision to close four of the five centers.
Number of older inmates grows, stressing prisons
The number of Americans in prison older than 55 is growing at a faster rate than the group’s share of the population at large, and many prisons are unprepared to provide them with health care, which can cost as much as nine times more than for younger inmates, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Friday.
News from Illinois: A voice for the most vulnerable
Interim director: PDC is not closing
The possible closure of the Porterville Developmental Center, potential layoffs, the status of the secure treatment area and the center’s budget were the big topics of a town hall meeting Wednesday afternoon inside the facility’s Carl F. Broderick Auditorium.
Officials oppose extended federal oversight of two mental hospitals
California officials Monday filed documents in U.S. District Court opposing extended federal oversight of two state mental hospitals, arguing that new leaders have already taken measures to improve patient care and safety.
Napa State Hospital fears staffing cuts
The California Department of Mental Health, which runs Napa State Hospital and four other psychiatric hospitals, has begun to implement staffing changes, including the elimination of 600 jobs statewide...
Judge to end California prison receiver
Four ASH employees attacked
Four employees at Atascadero State Hospital were attacked Friday, the hospital confirmed Tuesday.
A Mr. Fix-it answers call, again
At 75, Cliff Allenby could be spending his days playing golf, except his golf cart has a flat, and it has been that way for two years.
3 more employees assaulted by patients at Atascadero State Hospital
Three employees at Atascadero State Hospital were attacked by patients in two separate incidents.
Napa State, area housing top county's legislative agenda
With lawmakers back in Sacramento, Napa County officials want resolution on two issues left over from last year: safety at Napa State Hospital and the county’s affordable housing requirements.
Medical prison takes shape
Construction is well under way on the California Health Care Facility, a nearly $1 billion prison medical project in southeast Stockton, and the action is expected to only get hotter.
News from Texas: Failure to fund mental-health services strands hundreds in jails
Nearly four years ago, "Sam's" paranoia had grown so intense that he believed spies followed him in the shadows everywhere he went.
Three more Atascadero State Hospital employees attacked by patients
Patients have attacked three employees at Atascadero State Hospital since Friday, the hospital confirmed Wednesday.
