mental health law

José's son, who has schizophrenia, recently got into a fight that resulted in a broken window — an out-of-control moment from his struggle with mental illness. And it could increase his chances of deportation to a country where mental health care is ev

Health & Safety

A Young Immigrant Has Mental Illness, And That's Raising His Risk of Being Deported

9:22am November 17, 2019

by Christine Herman

Behavioral problems, criminal arrests and limited access to health care leave a father worried that his 21-year-old son will be deported to Mexico.

Officer Brian Cregg checks in with a man who says he is homeless and living in his car in Concord, N.H. In Concord, as in many parts of the Northeast, widespread use of meth is new, police say, and is changing how they approach interactions with people wh

Is It A Meth Case Or Mental Illness? Police Who Need To Know Often Can't Tell

7:53pm October 22, 2019

by Martha Bebinger

Calming techniques officers learn during training for intervening in a mental health crisis don't seem to work as well when a suspect is high on meth. Police say meth calls can be much more dangerous.

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The best help for patients struggling with addiction, eating disorders or other mental health problems sometimes includes intensive therapy, the evidence shows. But many patients still have trouble getting their health insurers to cover needed mental heal

'Mental Health Parity' Is Still An Elusive Goal In U.S. Insurance Coverage

5:00am June 07, 2019

by Graison Dangor

The Affordable Care Act and other U.S. laws sought to put insurance coverage for mental health conditions on equal footing with coverage for physical conditions. But patients say that's not happening.

Dr. Homer Venters, the former head of New York City's correctional health services, says that inmates held in solitary confinement cells, such as the Rikers Island cell shown above, have a higher risk of committing self-harm.

Former Physician At Rikers Island Exposes Health Risks Of Incarceration

3:06pm March 18, 2019

by Dave Davies

Dr. Homer Venters describes a number of traumatic outcomes related to subpar medical care inside the New York City jail complex, including the death of a man who was denied insulin during intake.

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Toni Hoy, at her home in Rantoul, Ill., holds a childhood photo of her son, Daniel, who is now 24. In a last-ditch effort to get Daniel treatment for his severe mental illness in 2007, the Hoys surrendered parental custody to the state. "When I think of h

To Get Mental Health Help For A Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody

6:25pm January 02, 2019

by Christine Herman

Doctors told Toni and Jim Hoy their young son needed intensive, specialized care away from home — institutional services that cost at least $100,000 a year. Insurance wouldn't cover the cost.

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Lt. Ryan Snyder, who works at the Champaign County jail in Illinois, says it's hard for any such facility to provide the kind of one-on-one mental health treatment many inmates need.

Health & Safety

County Jails Struggle To Treat Mentally Ill Inmates

1:35pm September 19, 2018

by Christine Herman

Getting mental health treatment to inmates who need it requires money and unprecedented collaboration between state and county departments of criminal justice and social services. Is it working?

A coalition of mental health advocacy groups is calling on federal regulators, state agencies and employers to conduct random audits of insurers to make sure they are in compliance with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Health Insurers Are Still Skimping On Mental Health Coverage

12:09pm November 30, 2017

by Jenny Gold

Behavioral care is four times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care, a nationwide study shows. That can make treatment unaffordable even for people who have health insurance.

The porches of the 1890s Allison Buildings, shown above in 1910, were later enclosed to provide more space for patient beds.

'Architecture Of An Asylum' Tracks History Of U.S. Treatment Of Mental Illness

11:54am July 06, 2017

by Susan Stamberg

Founded in 1855, St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., grew from 250 patients to 8,000. A new exhibit at the National Building Museum explores the links between architecture and mental health.

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When used in conjunction with counseling, Suboxone strips placed under the tongue can help ease opioid cravings and other withdrawal symptoms in people trying to quit a heroin or painkiller habit, doctors say.

Insurance Rules Can Hamper Recovery From Opioid Addiction

4:13pm August 05, 2016

by Jake Harper

Medicaid and other health insurers require doctors to file time-consuming paperwork before allowing them to prescribe drugs that help people quit opioids. That delay fosters relapse, specialists say.

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Natalie Dunnege and her son, Strazh, work on an art project at home in San Francisco. Her health insurance would cover therapy sessions to help with her depression, Dunnege says, but she hasn't been able to find a counselor who is taking new patients.

Single Mom's Search For Therapist Hampered By Insurance Companies

5:24pm July 25, 2016

by April Dembosky

Recent health laws were supposed to give people easier access to mental health care. But some adults who have anxiety or depression and need help are still having a tough time lining up treatment.

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