mental health

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is criticizing House budget writers for not going along with his plan for constructing a new mental health facility at Fulton State Hospital.

The governor wants to issue $198 million in bonds for the facility. He asked lawmakers for $14 million in the current state budget for initial bond payments, but the House Budget Committee did not include those funds in its proposal.

On Sunday, MU football player Michael Sam publicly came out as gay in interviews with several media outlets. There has of course been a lot of reaction to the news, with many praising the defensive lineman’s decision and others questioning whether it’ll affect his prospects of being drafted into the NFL. Sam would be the first openly gay player in the NFL if he is drafted. Before his announcement, he was projected to be taken in the third or fourth round.

New filings in a class action lawsuit challenging Missouri's treatment of convicted sex offenders seek the release of more than 200 men in the program.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the legal challenge to the Missouri Department of Mental Health claims its Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services program is mismanaged, overcrowded and essentially a prison disguised as a mental hospital.

Gov. Jay Nixon has developed a proposal to help more Missourians pursue careers in mental health care.

The Missouri Psychiatric Center is the only inpatient psychiatric facility for youth within ninety miles of Columbia. The center just renovated their space to include more amenities for youth. The new space is brighter with natural light, new visitation and therapy rooms and three additional beds. The older site was darker and less accommodating for patients.  Director of the center, Laine Young-Walker said the beds were badly needed.

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The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia is adding seven new positions in its mental health care programs for veterans.

A report released by the Missouri Department of Mental Health shows teens in Callaway County report higher alcohol and drug use than teens anywhere else in Missouri.

One in five Americans has some sort of disability according to a study done in 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This could include disabilities having to do with hearing, sight, mobility, learning, development or mental health. But not all disabilities are perceived the same way. Drew Graham has a unique perspective on this. He has both a physical and mental disability and has determined over the years that the stigma associated with mental disability carries more weight.

The Health Psychology Department in the Missouri School of Health Professions has released a study saying stress contributes to cognitive decline in women with breast cancer.