Congress Plans to Eliminate Subsidized Stafford Loans for Graduate School

[Zigman]

our political system is a mess and we need to dramatically reform that if we're going to achieve anything positive.

Yes, I vote for public (only) campaign finance and instant run-off voting. Then, we might actually get some candidates that aren't bought and paid for by corporations and their lobbyists.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Zigman]

is there a candidate that will actually have the best interest of mental health services in mind?

Better?

Wait, the libertarian voices on here want to cut every public service, but want a candidate with interest in preserving mental health services?!?! Good luck!

Let me know when you find your candidate who is interested in doing away with public education and privatizing all roads, but doesn't expect all MH services to be private pay -and thus subject to the whims of the profit driven private insurance companies (who are progressively cutting MH benefits and add daily to list of things they refuse to reimburse for).

What exactly is your concept of "best interest" in this domain?

 

[roubs]

Jon Stewart had a great quote on Thursday:

This is the problem with entitlements. They're really only entitlements when they're something other people want. When it's something you want, they're a hallmark of a civilized society, the foundation of a great people.

I just had a baby, and found out maternity leave strengthens society. But since I still have a job, unemployment benefits are clearly socialism.

As people who see mental health issues up close every day we're more aware than most of the real suffering that individuals and their loved ones endure. As long as people view this, or any other issues, as some abstract concept unrelated to them or their family then they'll call it an entitlement and be happy to put it on the chopping block.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Wait, the libertarian voices on here want to cut every public service, but want a candidate with interest in preserving mental health services?!?! Good luck!

I can be against all social welfare programs and still believe MH should be covered under health insurance. As for funding of community mental health programs.....the devil is in the details. The gov't will find a way to spend our tax dollars, so I'd prefer them to invest their money in programs that have a net benefit on the community. Some CMHCs are a net benefit, others are not. Every organization that takes tax payer money needs to be accountable to the tax payers/community....and CMHCs are no exception.

 

[Zigman]

I can be against all social welfare programs and still believe MH should be covered under health insurance. As for funding of community mental health programs.....the devil is in the details. The gov't will find a way to spend our tax dollars, so I'd prefer them to invest their money in programs that have a net benefit on the community. Some CMHCs are a net benefit, others are not. Every organization that takes tax payer money needs to be accountable to the tax payers/community....and CMHCs are no exception.

Ok, so you're also in favor of continuing Medicare and Medicaid then? -because that is the insurance that many who utilize CMHCs have.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Ok, so you're also in favor of continuing Medicare and Medicaid then? -because that is the insurance that many who utilize CMHCs have.

Modified versions of Medicare and Medicaid, as they are both necessary evils.

 

[aequitasveritas]

Take it from someone who has worked in some CMH agencies,
you have no idea of the fraud that occurs in these places.

I say axe the therapy part of these places. All that really has an affect on the medi-medi clientele is the psychotropics. Pay a group of psychiatrists to serve the clients and a few case workers to make sure they're finding jobs etc and doing what they should be to keep receiving support.

 

[ForensicNeuro]

^ amen!

 

[Buzzwordsoldier]

Take it from someone who has worked in some CMH agencies,
you have no idea of the fraud that occurs in these places.

I say axe the therapy part of these places. All that really has an affect on the medi-medi clientele is the psychotropics. Pay a group of psychiatrists to serve the clients and a few case workers to make sure they're finding jobs etc and doing what they should be to keep receiving support.

Sorry you weren't able to work any worthwhile talk therapy with the magic m&m crowds. I'm almost always amazed when folks insist it can't be done. For me that's simply inconceivable.

 

[aequitasveritas]

Sorry you weren't able to work any worthwhile talk therapy with the magic m&m crowds. I'm almost always amazed when folks insist it can't be done. For me that's simply inconceivable.

Not saying I didnt have some effect with some clients; it's an issue of cost benefit with tax payers as the ones who support the "M&M" services.

Medi-medi really has become a culture unto itself though. Many malinger to keep benefits. The therapy is usually done by inexperienced interns or masters level social workers, MFTs. Nothin against them, but from what I saw it just wasn't effective.

Anyway...therapy for psychotic people is usually like insulin; not chemo. I just think we over do it on the fluff therapy in these clinics...groups for this and that...cooking classes...etc. etc. It needs to be gutted.

 

[roubs]

Not saying I didnt have some effect with some clients; it's an issue of cost benefit with tax payers as the ones who support the "M&M" services.

Medi-medi really has become a culture unto itself though. Many malinger to keep benefits. The therapy is usually done by inexperienced interns or masters level social workers, MFTs. Nothin against them, but from what I saw it just wasn't effective.

Anyway...therapy for psychotic people is usually like insulin; not chemo. I just think we over do it on the fluff therapy in these clinics...groups for this and that...cooking classes...etc. etc. It needs to be gutted.

If a social group at one of these places is the only safe place a client feels they can socialize, do you really think it's worthless and should be gutted? I mean it's one thing if this becomes a huge cash sink, but it doesn't have to be so. Seems like the prevailing philosophy in a lot of places is to keep people just well enough to stay out of an inpatient facility.

 

[socialpsy]

I don't want to subsidize a student choosing to receive their Ph.D. in anthropology or literature seeing that there are no jobs for majors with these degrees.

When people forget the practicality of funding the arts, they can forget the practicality of funding anything.