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States Falter on Mental Health Services

Posted on: Saturday, 4 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Alan Bavley, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Mar. 4--Kansas got a failing grade and Missouri received a C-minus in a national study of state programs for the mentally ill.

Overall, the nation received a D for mental health services, the National Alliance on Mental Illness said.

The advocacy group said its study concurs with a presidential commission that found "a system in shambles."

"Too many states are behind the curve," the alliance's medical director, Ken Duckworth, said this week.

"They are not keeping pace by moving toward a recovery-oriented health-care system based on proven, cost-effective practices."

The report focused on services available to the millions of adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression who depend primarily on state mental health systems. Grades were based in part on a survey of state mental health agencies conducted from October to December, the alliance said.

No state received an A. Five received B's.

Kansas was one of eight states to get an F. The report said mental health consumers and their families think the state "has been inflexible, and has a history of asking for their input and then ignoring it."

The report also said that Kansas had inadequate numbers of hospital beds for the mentally ill and that the state has not done enough to keep patients out of the criminal justice system.

The report may contain inaccuracies, said Mike Deines, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, which is in charge of mental health care. The department would want to review the report more thoroughly before passing judgment, he said.

Missouri's grade took into account budget cuts for mental health services and the shortage of housing, hospital beds and community alternatives to hospital care for the mentally ill.

The report also praised the state for some of its programs, including one that educates doctors about the use of psychiatric drugs. The program has reduced hospitalizations and saved the state millions of dollars.

Missouri Department of Mental Health spokesman Bob Bax called the report fair.

"The report describes areas that need improvement and areas where Missouri is a leader and doing well," Bax said. "It appreciates we're trying to do a good job during difficult budget times."

To reach Alan Bavley, call (816) 234-4858 or send e-mail to abavley@kcstar.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri)

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