Consumer Advocacy Coalition Has Town Hall at Faulkner Gallery
The Consumer Advocacy Coalition, a recently formed group of mental health advocates, recently held a town hall meeting at the Santa Barbara Library, More than 120 people came, including a good amount of public officials in response to a shortfall in mental health funds at Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services (ADMHS) anticipated for this coming year. Complicating matters is an investigation led Auditor-Controller Bob Geis of a County practice of over billing Medi-Cal for mental health services, perhaps as much as $31.5 million.
The coalition was formed by a client of mental health services, Roger Thompson, who has said publicly that he has bipolar disorder. ADMHS Medical Director Dr. Edwin Feliciano told Noozhawk that: “The community lacks an understanding of what mental illness is. We need to educate ourselves on what services are most effective.”
The organization hosts weekly meetings held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays at Unity House, 1626 Santa Barbara St. A second town hall has been scheduled for the North County on March 18 at the new Santa Maria Main Public Library.
Labels: County of SB, Mental Health Services
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 12/06/2008 04:40:00 AM
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8 Comments:
"Dr. Edwin Feliciano told Noozhawk that: “The community lacks an understanding of what mental illness is."
Right, because we're all a bunch of dummies without letters after our names so we couldn't possibly understand the intricicies of filing fraudulant paperwork and demanding $250K a year saleries for that expertise. Have I got that right Doctor?
Consumer Advocacy Coalition? Right, I forgot I'm too stupid to figure out that the deceiving title is needed to deflect any unsupportive attention by calling it the "Boozers, Dopers and Nutjob Welfare Lobbyists Cabal" (AKA BDN-WLC).
These are the same fleece bags that are soaking the state for mental health exams for sex offenders. A small in-group of shrinks is collecting $1M a year each to perform this "service". And you wonder why the state is going broke?
Sounds like the local homeless industry whose only goal is to grow more homeless to ever secure their own jobs. $24 million a year spent on homeless. Couldn't we buy them all spaces in a mobile home park somewhere for half that? Nope, that would leave the homeless enablers without jobs and then they would become homeless. Something is wrong here.
I'm getting misty-eyed from all the love.
$24 million a year is a lot of love. Where is your gratitude. Better yet, where are your results?
Look for a big fat thank-you note in the mail. Would that appease you? Would that be craven enough behavior from someone who is or was "out of it" enough to be seeking/being referred/qualifying for this type of assistance in the first place? It takes a little courage I should think to present oneself to ANY public service to begin with. Would you like your name and picture in the paper along with the mentally ill person's? Would that be gratitude for you? Maybe results can be seen when people like you learn more about the whole picture of mental illness. I realize it is a major drag that this issue does not balance neatly on a ledger sheet.
"when people like you learn more about the whole picture of mental illness."
What's a major drag is that you simpletons don't appreciate that the people have supported your programs which is why they exist.
Where is your outrage at the graft and corruption that has infected State gov't to the point we can't fund anything properly anymore?
Why aren't you pointing the finger at all the "people just looking for a better life" for cloging the county medical facilities for free care so there are no funds left for needy citizens?
Remind my uninformed brain how much of state and county taxes go to entitlement programs?
Let me know how all the state, county and city employees stack up against the average wage scale in California.
How about all those farm subsidies going to big nazi agriculture and the immigrant labor they import that is stealing jobs away from their home countries.
It's not a case of cold heatedness. Those of us who pay the bill and get nothing back are just fed up...
Out of respect for this forum, I will not dally further with you, sa1(sir or madam). It is clear from your tone that a rational discourse on anything would be pointless. Your uninformed mind, as you describe it, is too busy darting around to other topics, dictating what others should do, think, feel, and mispelling. Perhaps you could use some help. Peace.
sa1, you are right. Thank you for expressing your perspective.
Taxpayer tolerance for those who keep demanding more and more and more who have no understanding their benefits are being paid by taxpayers who don't think they are getting their monies worth needs to be said more often and more loudly.
If all they offer in return is the guilt card, and no results and decades more of failures, it is time they got a very different message.
The Republicans are going to have a cakewalk after two more seconds of this whole Obama crowd.
You are darn right, there is little in the private sector that pays as well and offers as many benefits as the entitlement public sector --- the only economic sector still showing jobs growth.
And all they do is bite the hands that keep feeding them. Yes, the Republicans are going to win the next one hands down. How soon we are now reminded why they got so soundly thrown out last time.
Get the message bleeding hearts (who always live on someone else's dime): It is a hand up; not a hand out that is the most humane response.
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