tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659723579251784578.post6121701756295455317..comments2010-08-24T23:46:37.910-07:00Tom Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05524285676885785052noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659723579251784578.post-43778932478015151742008-04-20T05:38:00.000-07:002008-04-20T05:38:00.000-07:00It would be interesting to learn how New Jersey's PPD initiative fared. The legislature initially provided $4.5 MM for PPD education and treatment. While this was an historic financial commitment on the part of the state to address PPD, one wonders how many of those who reached out were able to access services or benefit from them. After all, the mantra of PPD is recognize, reach out, get treatment, recover.<BR/><BR/>So while there is the need for more PPD initiatives and greater funding, let's also consider how existing initiatives worked out. Can anyone answer if New Jersey's PPD initiative was successful in helping those who invested themselves in it? If it wasn't successful, why? Moreover, how do we utilize that knowledge to provide better treatment and achieve improved outcomes in our community. <BR/><BR/>I fear there is no institutional memory regarding mental health issues. Similarly, there is no accountability and where the in no accountability there can be no process of continuous improvement. For example, consider another New Jersey mental health initiative, Recovery. New Jersey asserted in both its <I>CMHS Block Grant Report</I> and <I>Transformation Action Plan</I> that Recovery had been implemented in <B>all</B> [underline and bold in both reports] state psychiatric hospitals. Then there were the deaths at Ancora. Representations do not naturally lead to the desired reality. Let's hope that mothers who placed their faith in New Jersey's PPD initiative were better served by the representations made.<BR/><BR/>Doubtless, most will focus on any new PPD funding and legislation but will they also consider the nature, timing, quality, appropriateness, extent, and ultimate effectiveness of the treatment and services provided and the outcomes they engender? Those suffering from PPD deserve the best care our nation can afford as do all those who suffer from depression. PPD is terrible but it is likely that reaching out only to find that appropriate services are unavailable or ineffective might well makes matters worse. And this too must be addressed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com