skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Economy and Prisoner Re-entry Burden Community Mental Health Programs

play audio
Play

Wednesday, May 12, 2010   

LANSING, Mich. - More Michigan families are reaching out to community mental health services for help coping with job losses and the related economic fallout. However, the increased demand for services comes at a time when the state is also ramping up its prisoner re-entry program, leaving greater numbers of former prison inmates in need of services, too.

Maxine Thome, executive director, National Association of Social Workers' Michigan chapter, says despite these increasing demands, federal, state and local money is drying up – which, in her view, contradicts the very laws that govern Community Mental Health Services (CMH).

"'The Community Mental Health Services program shall provide a comprehensive array of mental health services appropriate to conditions of individuals, regardless of an individual's ability to pay.' So, the CMHs are really dependent on federal Medicaid money."

Thome points out that not everyone qualifies for Medicaid assistance, and it is unlikely that uninsured or under-insured individuals will get the services they need, so she predicts the burden will be shifted to law enforcement agencies and hospitals. The result, she says, is that tax dollars will be spent for mental health care – one way or the other.

"What we'll see are more people being released from the Michigan re-entry programs who are really in need of services, who are not getting them. You know, I think for some people, it's easier to live in prison than it is to live outside of prison without supportive services."

In a continuing trend, Thome says, this year's state funding for such services is slated to be reduced by $384 million. It can be difficult for people to understand, she adds, that without increasing taxes or revenue, even mandated services cannot be maintained.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021