skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, October 6, 2024

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

The Bureau of Land Management updates a proposed Western Solar Plan to the delight of wildlife advocates, grant funding helps New York schools take part in National Farm to School Month, and children's advocates observe "TEN-4 Day" to raise awareness of child abuse.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Biden voices concerns over Israeli strikes on Iran, Special Counsel Jack Smith details Trump's pre-January 6 pressure on Pence, Indiana's voter registration draws scrutiny, and a poll shows politics too hot to talk about for half of Wisconsinites.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Cheap milk comes at a cost for residents of Washington's Lower Yakima Valley, Indigenous language learning is promoted in Wisconsin as experts warn half the world's languages face extinction, and Montana's public lands are going to the dogs!

FL lawmakers propel mental health in historic health care package

play audio
Play

Friday, February 23, 2024   

The Florida House is expected to follow the Senate's lead by signing off on an initiative to pour millions into the state's health care industry, including significant investments in mental health services.

The Live Healthy legislation, which unanimously passed the Senate in January, is now pending approval in the House.

The $715 million package is aimed at enhancing the health care workforce in general, and expanding mental health crisis response teams. It also creates a behavioral health teaching hospital program.

Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, said she and the Senate President saw a need to keep pace with the state's growing population.

"There are not a proportional number of health care providers to include behavioral mental health providers and so, we had to do something different," Burton explained. "We are competing with every other state -- we are competing with Texas and other big states for providers -- so we needed to do more, and we needed to do it now."

There has been some pushback regarding the bill's cost. However, proponents argued the long-term benefits of improved mental health care far outweigh the initial investment. Democrats criticized the bill for not including a Medicaid expansion for low-income Floridians.

Burton noted they also want to provide "regulatory relief," by maximizing the efficiency of the existing workforce and increasing access to mental health services.

"We're reducing some barriers so that psychologists and psychiatric nurses can walk in and work sooner in Baker Act facilities," Burton pointed out. "It just puts more personnel in place so more Floridians will be able to get the care that they desperately need."

A poll by the mental health advocacy group Inseparable shows a majority of registered voters nationwide, spanning bipartisan lines, recognize the escalating mental health crisis affecting both adults and children, with 91% emphasizing its importance as a legislative priority.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
To date, the Bureau of Land Management has permitted clean-energy projects on public lands adding 29 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power more than 12 million homes, according to the agency. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A new federal proposal details which public lands across the West would be open to solar development. Wildlife advocates are glad to see that some - …


Environment

play sound

October is National Farm to School Month, and New York schools are using grant funding to participate. School districts statewide have received …

Social Issues

play sound

As Florida recovers from Hurricane Helene, the state's network of Community Health Centers continues to provide crucial care statewide. Community …


Helene ranks among the nation's deadliest hurricanes, as the death toll surpasses 200. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A week after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the Southeast, the North Carolina town of Boone is facing an uphill battle. With many roads still …

Social Issues

play sound

The most recent census figures show a significant drop in poverty in the Richmond metro area - and are being met with skepticism. The American …

In 2020, 36% of Wisconsin voters told the Marquette Law School Poll that political disagreements negatively affected personal interactions with another voter. That number jumped to 46% in the current election cycle. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new poll out this week shows nearly half of Wisconsin voters stopped talking about politics with someone because of disagreements over the president…

play sound

Experts say a diverse workforce is crucial for creativity and social justice, and equally good for a company's bottom line. But reluctance to hire …

Social Issues

play sound

By Marilyn Odendahl for The Indiana Citizen.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Indiana Citizen-Free Press India…

 

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