Medscape (1/11, Brauser) reports that Paul Appelbaum, MD, past president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and current chair of the APA Committee on Judicial Action, “met with members of Vice President Joe Biden’s Task Force on Gun Violence yesterday at the White House to discuss changes to the country’s mental health system.” Dr. Appelbaum “presented a four-part outline designed to address” the improvement of mental health in the US, including: “Appointing a presidential commission to ‘develop a vision’ for a better system of mental healthcare; designating a White House staffer as point person for facilitating responses from the Administration; improving early identification of those with mental health problems; and developing ‘sensible, nondiscriminatory approaches to keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people.'”
Psychiatric News (1/11) reports that Dr. Appelbaum told the Task Force that “despite evidence of the effectiveness of mental health treatment, funding for mental health services has plunged in the last few years, particularly in the public sector.” He also “stressed as well APA’s willingness to work with the administration and Congress in efforts to improve access to and the quality of mental health services and public safety.”
Related Links:
— “APA Participates in White House Gun-Violence Meeting,Psychiatric News Alert, January 10, 2013.