Articles, Leading Stories
Goal of program is to make technology useful for kids
By Catherine Robertson Souter
In 2010, the Kaiser Foundation reported that children spend more than seven hours each day with entertainment media, including time on a computer at home or at school, playing...
Treating mental illness in the elderly: Achieving stability through inpatient care
By Phyllis Hanlon
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that approximately 5.6 to 8 million Americans 65 and older have mental health or substance use disorders; those figures are expected to...
Smoking bans at facilities are more common
By Pamela Berard
After initial controversy, the practice of prohibiting smoking in inpatient psychiatric facilities has taken hold.
In decades past, many considered smoking one of the...
Hospital ER improves psychiatric care
By Janine Weisman
The patient brought to Cape Cod Hospital’s Emergency Center in Feb. 2011 with self-inflicted left wrist lacerations denied being suicidal. But after sutures and a behavioral...
Sequestration: an unknown future for social service agencies
By Phyllis Hanlon
On March 1, the deadlocked debate on the economic future of the country resulted in approximately $85.4 billion in federal spending cuts. Known as the sequester, the funding...
Process delayed in Aetna lawsuit settlement
By Catherine Robertson Souter
A class action lawsuit against health insurance company Aetna has apparently been settled out of court. In December, it was announced that Aetna agreed to settle a class action...
ICD-10 code change deadline pushed back
By Catherine Robertson Souter
While some psychologists are still dealing with the aftermath of changes to CPT codes in January, another, and much broader, code change deadline has been pushed back a...
UnitedHealth Group’s practices challenged in lawsuit
By Catherine Robertson Souter
The New York State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA), along with several patients and their families, has challenged UnitedHealth Group’s (also known as United Healthcare)...
Citing financial realities, CHA shifts adolescent services
By Jo Kadlecek
In recent years, psychiatric service providers across Massachusetts have struggled with payment issues. The reimbursement problem has forced many to revaluate their programs...
Study documents high cost of keeping Taunton State Hospital open
By Janine Weisman
An independent consultant for the Massachusetts State Legislature estimates it would cost the Department of Mental Health (DMH) $12.77 million to keep 45 beds open at Taunton...