Healthcare – NewDEAL

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean Announced $7.5M Fund Focused on Supportive Housing: Pairing Shelter With Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:53:34 +0000

Idaho: Boise Mayor Lauren McLean announced a $7.5 million fund focused on “supportive housing,” an approach to ending homelessness that pairs a place to live with other services like mental health care and substance use treatment. “It’s a proven model,” she said, “one that provides a real path into the future for our most vulnerable residents. Because in a city for everyone, everyone is valuable, and we don’t give up on people.”

Delaware Senator Sarah McBridge Sponsored a Bill to Block Drug Manufacturers from Restricting Access to Discounted Drugs to Covered Pharmacies

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:51:13 +0000

Delaware: Senator Sarah McBride sponsored a bill to block discriminatory practices against healthcare entities participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a federal drug discount program that reduces prescription drug costs for underinsured and medically vulnerable Delawareans. McBride’s bill would prohibit some drug manufacturers and distributors from restricting access to discounted drugs to covered pharmacies contracting with entities. Thirty other states have introduced or passed similar legislation making prescriptions less expensive for those that need it most and ultimately making quality healthcare more equitable.

State Senator Sam Singh Sponsored Legislation, Signed Into Law to Help Fund Rural Hospitals

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:08:57 +0000

Michigan: Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed SB 701, sponsored by State Senator Sam Singh, to help rural communities access affordable healthcare by amending restrictions on the funding hospitals can receive. The law eliminates the definition of “critical access hospital” and raises the population limit to be considered a “rural hospital” to 195,000.

Senator Sarah McBride Sponsored Legislation, Signed into Law, Securing New Medicaid Funding

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:59:49 +0000

Delaware: Senator Sarah McBride‘s bipartisan legislation, the “Protect Medicaid Act of 2024,” was signed into law, securing $175 million annually in new Medicaid funding for Delaware. McBride highlighted the act will unlock a 2-to-1 federal funding match that will protect and expand health coverage for the roughly 200,000 Delawareans who receive care through the state’s Medicaid program.

Virginia Senator Aaron Rouse Sponsored a Bill to Protect First Responders Exposed to Toxic Chemicals

actualize — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:46:16 +0000

Virginia Senator Aaron Rouse sponsored a bill that received unanimous support to protect first responders exposed to toxic chemicals. The bill, signed into law by Governor Youngkin, will go into effect on July 1st, and the working group it establishes will report its findings to the General Assembly on November 1. As Rouse said, “Not every bill gets unanimous support, but this was one of them, and I’m proud that partisanship didn’t get in the way and that we all are very concerned and supportive of our first responders.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Announces Millions in Funds for Mental and Behavioral Health Programs

actualize — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:18:18 +0000

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced $21 million in funding for mental and behavioral health programs and services for the city’s youth and families. In partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and Boston Public Schools (BPS), this investment would serve upwards of 50,000 students, help more than 600 people pursue behavioral health careers, and expand and diversify BPS’s mental health staff.

Former County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty: Novel Strategy to Address Mental Health and Homelessness

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:15:44 +0000

This week, Santa Cruz County, CA Supervisors, including NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty, unanimously approved a new strategy for addressing mental illness among homeless individuals in the county. The “Mental Health Services Act Innovation Plan” aims to enroll approximately 600 people experiencing homelessness. The program will send field teams to meet participants where they are and provide clinical and case management services to both address mental health concerns and help transition participants into permanent housing. The program will help the County plot a permanent response that could serve as a model for other localities. Read more here.

Mayor Miro Weinberger: Paid Family Leave in Burlington, VT

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:46:40 +0000

This week, NewDEAL Leader Burlington, VT Mayor Miro Weinberger reached an agreement with the city workers’ union that would make Burlington the first city in Vermont to offer paid family leave. The leave benefit will be offered immediately, with city workers eligible for four weeks of fully paid leave, and will scale up each year to add additional weeks of available leave at 60 percent payment. Check out an article for more details about this important benefit, which the mayor notes will help retain workers.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer: Supporting Delaware’s Mothers

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:37:37 +0000

This week, NewDEAL Leader New Castle County, DE Executive Matt Meyer announced a new initiative to support disadvantaged first-time mothers with access to health care. The program is financed using the innovative Pay for Success funding model, pioneered in the U.S. by NewDEAL Alum, former Salt Lake County, UT Mayor Ben McAdams, who used this approach to tackle issues like early childhood education, homelessness, and criminal justice reform. Other NewDEALers, including Mayor Hancock in Denver, have seen success in addressing homelessness using Pay for Success, which involves a funder from outside government making the initial investment in a project and government funds kicking in when certain milestones are achieved. Read more about the new program in Delaware and its goal of serving 120 Medicaid-eligible first-time mothers over four years.

Judge Andy Brown: Mental Health Diversion Program in Travis County, TX

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:00:57 +0000

Judge Andy Brown is spearheading efforts to establish a mental health diversion center pilot program in Travis County. This program presents an alternative pathway to arrests, providing emergency responders and families with options, including psychiatric care, when dealing with those experiencing a mental health crisis. Brown emphasizes the need to create a more innovative, empathetic, and effective mental healthcare system and hopes to have the pilot program fully functioning ahead of the construction of a new mental health diversion facility in the county. A recent study revealed a rise in individuals with a mental health identifier in the county’s jail, underlining the growing need for this initiative. The pilot will also help individuals who are incarcerated receive psychiatric aid, and Brown is hopeful that these critical services will help with their long term outcomes.