Measure would strengthen mental health-care system
Source: Washington post
A bipartisan group of senators, citing renewed urgency after the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, introduced legislation Thursday aimed at strengthening the nation’s fragmented mental health-care system and improving access at the community level.
The bill would put in place standards for about 2,000 “federally qualified” community behavioral health centers, requiring them to provide such services as substance abuse treatment and 24-hour crisis care.
In return, facilities meeting criteria would be able to bill Medicaid for their services — a change intended to open the door to treatment for many more people and one that is estimated to cost about $1 billion over the next decade.
“There is an important gap here,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), one of the bill’s main sponsors. She warned that too many people receive inadequate or no treatment and are at risk of their problems becoming more dangerous.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/measure-would-strengthen-mental-health-care-system/2013/02/07/dd64db44-714d-11e2-ac36-3d8d9dcaa2e2_story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
because he defunded mental health care - and he was not too mentally healthy himself. 
