Mass: State psychiatric hospitals to stop admitting new patients

[wicket]

LINK

State psychiatric hospitals will begin turning away new patients on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, in response to emergency budget cuts issued earlier this month by Gov. Mitt Romney. The cuts will force the elimination of 170 Department of Mental Health staff positions, including staffers who provide care to hundreds of emotionally disturbed children and teens.

Representatives of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems said they were informed of the moratorium on new patients by Mental Health Commissioner Beth Childs on Friday. Besides barring new inpatient admissions to mental health facilities, Child's department will also restrict access to residential programs, advocates said.

"These are the unkindest cuts imaginable, and their timing is hard to fathom," Massachusetts Hospital Association President Ron Hollander said in a written statement. "We implore the governor to restore these essential services to the people who depend on DMH."

David Matteodo, head of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems, said the chronically and severely disabled will be denied the critical care they need. "That is the harsh consequence of these cuts, which will be imposed on a mental health system that is already under tremendous strain," he said.

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Romney is such a heartless asshole :grr:

[matcom]

1. he also tried to slash $400,000 from the Homeless Shelters

oh right. it was an inadvertent "aide" :eyes:

<snip>

OK, so Mitt Romney isn't the fraud that I feared he might be, that fear having been expressed on Friday when I detailed how he had slashed more than $400,000 in funds for wintertime homeless beds. Romney had vowed four years ago to never target the state's most vulnerable residents.

On Friday morning, Romney told reporters he was restoring the money that would shelter about 330 more men and women on winter nights. His aides called homeless shelters early Friday afternoon to let them know the funds were on their way. Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, confirmed the reversal for me yesterday.

"He restored the money to the homeless account and will take the cut elsewhere in the $25 billion budget," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail.

So what does it mean? It means some idiotic state bureaucrat couldn't see the people through the numbers and should probably be stripped of his or her calculator before doing similar damage. It means that the governor's constant religiosity should include a little more compassion for the poor and a little less zeal against gay marriage.

Most important, it means that homeless shelters around Boston were setting up new beds for the beginning of winter, courtesy of Romney having the guts to acknowledge a mistake.

This is exactly what they were doing yesterday at the Boston Rescue Mission on Kingston Street, where they got around 80 more emergency beds with the additional money.

In fact, if anyone ever had even a molecule of doubt over whether programs for the homeless actually work, they need only talk for a few minutes to Dennis Gaskell, the head cook and so much more at the Boston Rescue Mission.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/21/reversal_of_misfortune?mode=PF

[wicket]

4. The cuts got restored??

Wow, I hadn't heard that. Thanks. I love this part:

It means some idiotic state bureaucrat couldn't see the people through the numbers and should probably be stripped of his or her calculator before doing similar damage. It means that the governor's constant religiosity should include a little more compassion for the poor and a little less zeal against gay marriage.

Amen. January cannot come quick enough!

[Vinca]

2. Let me guess . . . another compassionate conservative?? nt

[wicket]

3. thankfully, he's gone in January

Now he fancies himself President :puke:

[radfringe]

5. having been a MHA-1

MHA-1 (Mental Health Assistant-1) at NORTHAMPTON STATE HOSPITAL, Northampton MA, for a few years - I can tell you from personal experience that the HOLIDAYS ARE NOT the time to put out the "NO VACANCY" sign...

The highest number of admissions occur during and immediately following the holiday season. (the stories I could tell...)

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

14. O/T Northampton a creepy place, I'll bet you do have stories.

http://www.northville-tunnels.com/other/index.htm

http://www.northville-tunnels.com/other/northampton/index.htm

[radfringe]

15. my dad was chief engineer/maintenance supervisor

at the hospital. My brother and I worked a couple of summers in the cafeteria. Because of my dad's job, we had to live on the grounds. Had a house just outside the main road entrance.

later on I transfered to a full-time position on the wards. This was between 1973-1979. Worked the 11pm-7am shift for awhile, then after a "reorganization" I ended up on the 3pm-11pm shift.

by the time I worked the wards - the main building for patient occupation was pretty much closed down. just offices, the main kitchen and a few other departments were in the main building.

I worked in the buildings across the street. They pretty much looked the same - 3 stories, brick and foreboding.


and yeah, there were some wild and wacky times on the wards.

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

16. What a growing up experience, living close to the grounds, then

working there. Even the cafeteria work must have been interesting. Thanks for the info.

[madrchsod]

6. that`s what prison and streets are for..

close the psychiatric hospitals and open more prisons or just dump them on the streets. illinois did the same years ago when it closed hospitals across the state. guess what..they were converted into prisons. america`s not so dirty secret is that many in our prisons are, in one form or another ,have severe emotional problems that can not be treated in a prison environment.

[acmejack]

8. Mr. Reagan's enduring legacy. Put them on the street!

[rodeodance]

7. taking care of our most vulnerable is a value I cherish. (obviously some

do not)

[acmejack]

9. It doesn't fit into "Cowboy Conservatism"

Everyman for himself is their motto, there is no room for those who can't see to themselves. They must perish in their Darwinian world.

[Ian David]

10. I think Romney did this on purpose

According to the anti-gay rhetoric, "Suicide Prevention" is just a code-word for "Homosexual Indoctrination."

[notadmblnd]

11. Sounds like ke's following John Englers plan

Engler completely destroyed the mental health programs in Michigan.

[radfringe]

12. If you are interested - Northampton State Hospital memorial project

http://www.1856.org/main.html

Front entrance of main building

[wicket]

17. Very interesting

Thanks!

[sniffa]

13. thanks mitt

hope this heLps your run for prez.

[survivor999]

18. On his way out, Mitt wants to show

how deeply he cares about the weakest, all according to the great Mormon teachings, I suppose.

[wicket]

19. kick

:kick: