News stories tagged with "mental-health"

(05/25/12) Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to create a new state agency, designed to protect people with disabilities living in instutions or assisted-living facilities across New York.

Yesterday, Courtney Burke, who heads the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, traveled to Plattsburgh to promote the idea, which is now being considered by the state Assembly. Brian Mann has our story. more

(04/11/12) The physical damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene has started to fade, but the emotional toll it took on the people it affected still lingers. A mental health program launched last fall aims to address those issues.

Project Hope is a program administered by the state Office of Mental Health, with help from the Mental Health Association of Essex County and the Research Foundation of Mental Hygiene. Its aim is to provide counseling services and build a support network for people whose lives were impacted by Irene, which devastated communities along the AuSable River last August.

Members of Project Hope met with town supervisors from Keene and Jay at the Keene Community Center last week. As Chris Morris reports, they're hoping to reach more people still struggling with the consequences of the flood. more

(03/16/12) Two North Country not-for-profit agencies will get nearly $500,000 from the Federal department of Housing and Urban Development, to fund programs for the homeless. more

(02/06/12) Neighbors of St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Lake are concerned about plans for a new treatment facility for veterans struggling with substance abuse addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.

St. Joseph's wants to change the zoning of a vacant, 3-acre parcel of land near its main campus to accommodate the 10,000-square foot veterans' community residence. But neighbors say the zoning change, and the uses and activities associated with the project, would impact the character of the mostly residential area.

As Chris Knight reports, the two sides met late last week to talk about a compromise. more

(01/12/12) The federal government is criticizing the Cuomo administration for mishandling care and safety for people with developmental disabilities. In a report issued this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that one of New York's key watchdog agencies wasn't independent enough to provide proper oversight.

The study also concluded that state officials weren't revealing enough information about how federal health care dollars are being spent. The federal review followed a series of New York Times articles that found a high rate of unexplained deaths, abuse, and other problems in the state's disability care system.

Some of those problems were identified at the Sunmount facility in Tupper Lake.

(10/07/11) A Watertown mental health clinic that recently changed ownership may close soon, and that has a lot of elected officials and community leaders worried. The Community Clinic, formerly known as Mercy Behavioral Health and Wellness, serves a large population of the poor with mental illnesses. As officials race to find funding to keep the clinic open, the worry is that the cost to the community of a closure would be far higher. Joanna Richards reports. more

(12/15/10) Over the next month, we'll hear a lot about earmarks, also known as "pork." They're the district-specific pet projects of members of Congress. The new Republican-led House has vowed to ban earmarks, or at least strictly curtail them.

We've all heard about the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere." But for every one of those earmarks, there are many others that are filling a need in a community.

Fort Drum near Watertown is the only Army base in the country without its own hospital. Soldiers and their families rely on doctors and clinics in Jefferson, Lewis, and southern St. Lawrence counties. A $400,000 earmark funds an organization thats building health care assets for soldiers and civilians alike. avid Sommerstein reports. more

(09/21/10) Saranac Lake Central School officials are taking long and short term measures to fight bullying after a case of bullying with racial overtones earlier this year.

In June, the parent of a sixth-grader said her daughter had been repeatedly harassed and bullied for more than a year because of her race.

School administrators later admitted that they hadn't done enough to protect the girl from harassment. As Chris Knight reports, officials have taken several steps to change the school policy and culture. more

(07/01/10) A group in Saranac Lake is moving ahead with plans for a respite and reintegration center for active duty solders, veterans and their families.

The proposed residential center is called Patriot Hills. Supporters say it will draw on the village's long tradition as a healing community, by using innovative treatments to help soldiers settle back into civilian life after deployment to places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Patriot Hills convened its first major public event this week, at the Trudeau Institute. On hand were top military brass, experts on post traumatic stress disorder, and Garry Trudeau, who has explored veterans issues in his Doonesbury cartoon. Chris Knight was there. more

(04/05/10) The Vermont Senate is expected to take a final vote this week on a bill that would phase out the chemical bisphenol-A in some types of packaging. The bill would ban use of the chemical in reusable food and beverage containers, as well as infant formula and baby food containers. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England says BPA has been linked to a high number of health problems, including infertility, miscarriage, and breast and prostate cancer. The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, maintains that it is safe and helps keep food safe by keeping it fresh.

There's been a rise in reports of behavioral disorders in kids over the past decade or so. Some researchers say genetics, lack of sleep, and chaotic households all contribute to things like ADHD. Now researchers say another cause could be personal care products. Julie Grant reports. more