The Hill (1/18, Viebeck) “Healthwatch” blog says the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will host a January 24 hearing, in which the heads of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes of Mental Health will discuss “how to improve treatment for the mentally ill in light of recent mass shootings.” Although President Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence calls for rules implementing mental health parity and Federal research on gun violence, advocates “say more work is needed to strengthen the U.S. mental healthcare system, which has faced cuts in recent years.” Committee staff said the hearing “will provide senators an opportunity to examine the most pressing problems in our mental health system, including a need to focus on prevention and early intervention.”
Related Links:
— “HELP panel to hold hearing on mental health,”Elise Viebeck, The Hill, January 17, 2013.