Public Health: Outsourcing Mental Health
Today, the Raleigh News and Observer started a series on the sad state of Mental Health “reform” in North Carolina. The 2001 plan was to move care out of central State Hospitals into local communities and have private providers deliver much of the care. This reform was poorly planned, poorly executed, and most telling, went forward with too little oversight.
It shows the Achilles heel of “outsourcing” services, whether you are a company or the State of North Carolina: There must be clear incentives to the vendor to provide the best possible service at best cost. If there is not, the free market system will tend to deliver the least service at “what the market will bear.” And you need to watch them closely! As I learned in the US Navy: “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.”
My heart goes out to those mentally ill and their families who have suffered during this 6 year debacle. And it only makes sense for all of us to ensure the mentally ill get the right help right away. All of North Carolina has been robbed by this on-going failure.
[updated: added link to N&O story - thanks Gordon!]
- Ed Ridpath's blog
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Outrage!
Democrats, Independents, and Republicans should all be outraged at the textbook failure of this Mental Health reform. It took the worst of both left and right governance models and packaged them together to mis-serve our most vulnerable citizens at a huge cost in dollars and lives.
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Ed Ridpath
www.EdRidpath.com
Here's a link to N-O
Here's a link to the article Ed points at
Thanks!
Forgot to include the link - appreciate the assist!
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Ed Ridpath
www.EdRidpath.com
This story makes me so mad I could spit
Is there some company in the wings to take over once the entire system collapses? I guess we need to look at out-of-state mental health providers who have donated to the officials who have overseen this debacle. Or perhaps it's just sheer incompetence.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
That's the problem, DQ.
Or one of them. There are lots of problems, as I learned today at Candidate's Forum on Mental Health, sponsored by The Coalition for Persons Disabled by Mental Illness. There is not a private or public company ready to come in when the entire system collapses - and in some parts of the state it is very close to collapsing, or has indeed already collapsed. As for out of state companies, apparently all the screening for the state is done by a company in Virginia. I can't imagine how that comes close to working. I've got an email out to Gordon with a few questions before I finish up my post. Christopher and I heard 10 (well, 9 - I was late and missed Pat Smathers)candidates address this issue.
The gist of it is - we should all be ashamed by the way our most vulnerable citizens are treated and how agencies are pitted against each other to fight for every available penny. I'll post my write up of the forum tomorrow.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
This means two things.
First off, we now have a better understanding on where many of the candidates for statewide races stand on issues regarding mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse.
And secondly, I now have just shy of 24 hours to save my image before Linda exposes me for the miserable bastard I am.
All in all, a productive day.
You have an image?
LMAO
Let me just say this.
While I learned a lot about candidates, mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse treatment today, I also learned that deep inside all of us, there is a 12 year old who can't help but snicker when someone asks "What do you think about Dix?"
/snicker.
And Christopher is wonderful. Or a bastard. Or a magnificent bastard. I had a great day, except he wouldn't let me fight with the idiot republican.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Dude.
DENNIS NIELSEN IS A DEMOCRAT.
AKA, we're fucked.
The first thing I did when I got home was check to see his web presence. I began to read his site, but I'm pretty sure it's making me develop a developmental disability, ironically enough.
NO WAY
BWAHAHAHAA! That makes the trainwreck even funnier.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Sorry
Sorry, my web site made you ill. But have no fear after being elected I will try to help you.
Thank you for reading my site, some will like it other's won't that is what the election is about, choice.
Never forget the mental health system got into the state it is in on the watch of two of the current Dem candidates. If they haven't helped for the last 6 years why do you think they would do better now?
Anyway I hope you get feeling better!!!
Colonel Dennis Nielsen
Now Colonel . . .
Colonel,
Did you notice the Powell cartoon this morning? I think a lot of the "conservative" crowd who are pointing so gleefully to this "democratic" failure are conveniently overlooking the aspect of this plan that led so easily to the wreckage depicted in that cartoon: Privatization.
Isn't it your crowd, my friend, who is always arguing for smaller government, more privatization?
Well?
yrs,
Brunette
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
huhuh uh hu huhuh hu
You said dix.
exactly.
heh heh heh heh heh
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
We can't let my Clark Kent side out.
Just play along, Thierry, or I'll question your patriotism.
What patriotism?
I'm an evildoer.
And at this point of the night I'm trying to figure out what to say to the 56 people who signed up for our first "Cabarrus for Obama" meeting tomorrow.
Whoo!
56! That's awesome! You won't have to say much. Have them sign a sheet, arrange them in neighborhoods, talk about ways to grow and build the group for when the campaign staff gets here.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Can you question his patriotism
before his citizenship comes through?
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Yes
:D
....but that would be really mean.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.