Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Finds Link Between Increase In Bullying In Trump Country And President's Inauguration
The Washington Post: Study: Bullying Rates At Virginia Middle Schools Were Higher In Trump Country After His Election
In spring 2017, not long after President Trump took office, bullying rates among Virginia middle school students were 18 percent higher in places where voters had chosen Trump over Hillary Clinton, a study says. There were no meaningful differences in bullying and teasing rates between Democratic and Republican localities before the 2016 election. But a statewide sample of more than 155,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students across Virginia’s 132 school districts suggested a correlation between voter preference and the rise in bullying after Trump was inaugurated. (Strauss, 1/9)
Concord Monitor: Riverbend To Set Up 24/7 Mental Health Psychiatric Facility In Concord
Concord will host the state’s first 24-hour mental health treatment center, after the Executive Council greenlit a $4.4 million contract that officials say could help ease a years-long backlog of psychiatric patients in emergency departments. The new contract with Riverbend Community Mental Health, approved by the council on Wednesday, will allow the mental health provider to set up a round-the-clock destination for those in mental or behavioral health crises to get treatment. (DeWitt, 1/9)
New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Awards $4.4 Million Contract For New Behavioral Health Crisis Center
The Executive Council has approved a $4.4 million contract to fund a new behavioral health crisis treatment center. The contract, awarded to Riverbend Community Health, will fund a 24/7 crisis center in Concord. (Moon, 1/9)
Austin American-Statesman: Many Workking To Shed Stigma Of Mental Illness
Lake Travis area community members have committed to tackling mental health by equipping the public with tools and resources about how to help someone who is struggling from depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Local therapist Sarah Cortez said that every day, 3,000 minors attempt suicide in the country and four out of five of them showed clear warning signs. Out of those 3,000, she said, 20 percent sought mental health care. (Moreno-Lozano, 1/10)
Dallas Morning News: DeSoto Psych Hospital Seeks Feds' Oversight After Inspections Found Underage Sex, Medication Issues
A DeSoto psychiatric hospital, which the feds say put patients in “immediate jeopardy” of harm, will continue to receive Medicare funds for at least another month as it seeks a last-ditch special arrangement with the federal government. The feds used the rare arrangement — known as a systems improvement agreement — in the past to bring Parkland Memorial Hospital and other facilities back into compliance. (Chiquillo, 1/9)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Orleans School Board To Spend $1.3 Million On Mental Health Services
Starting this year, the Orleans Parish School Board plans to pay $1.3 million to a local mental health day treatment program to expand mental health services to children in grades 9-12, according to a district spokeswoman Tuesday (Jan. 8). The OPSB announced last Friday that it signed a contract to work with the Center for Resilience, previously known as the New Orleans Therapeutic Day Program, to provide these services. The center teaches students with behavioral health disabilities whose needs aren’t met by traditional schools. The center and the OPSB also plan to explore the feasibility of launching a residential group home for students. (Nobles, 1/9)
