The Community Outreach and Stabilization Unit began in 2018 and put behavioral health practitioners with police officers to assist with mental health and/or chemical dependency calls. The city plans to launch a new program next year.
The national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is two years old. Americans know it’s there, but not many know what it does.
A dozen states have joined a compact to give physician assistants a universal license. It's not a complete solution for the shortage of primary-care doctors, but it should help.
On May 31, 2019, a city engineer shot and killed 12 people and injured five others before being fatally shot by the police. Five years later, the community is still healing and implementing new systems to prevent violence.
Proposed legislation would allow homeless people displaying mental health issues to be taken to a behavioral center against their will for assessment.
The state experienced a 16 percent decrease in fatal overdoses in 2023, which is more than five times the nationwide decline. This was also the state’s first year-over-year reduction in fatalities since 2018.
An independent study found that more than 62,000 people received temporary housing under the program that moved medically vulnerable people from the streets and congregant shelters to empty hotel and motel rooms.
Look to local governance to build positive feelings about our democracy by nurturing social connections, autonomy and freedom. Don’t look to Washington.
The state estimates it will have between $300 and $400 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding still available for use. The problem will be figuring out how to prioritize which programs get money.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides comprehensive support for Americans who face acute mental health challenges. Congress is considering ways to tailor services more strategically.
Veterans were once half as likely as the general population to land in prison. Now, they're twice as likely. State and local officials are trying to prevent this from happening.
State efforts to restrict kids' social media use have been held up in court. But lawmakers remain concerned about apps and the Internet contributing to mental health challenges.
A bill would require each county to offer a treatment option as an alternative to the traditional court process for veterans and active military members. About 8 percent of the state’s corrections system population served in the military.
Legislatures across the nation are confronting several social issues including crime, drug use, immigration and poverty. These issues will continue to hold resonance, of course, in the November elections.
Senior citizens have high rates of depression and other mental health challenges. To improve access and address fears, a university program trains other older adults to offer sessions.
Future in Context
Mental health, climate and workforce are at the core of a complex cluster of issues confronting lawmakers this year.
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