Trenton to Release Mental Patients

TRENTON, N.J. June 21st, 2001 — About one-fifth of the state`s adult psychiatric patients could be discharged from four state hospitals if Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco approves a plan aimed at easing crowding at the facilities and lowering readmission rates.

Under the proposal, millions would be spent on improving community-based mental health services and a 390-bed facility would replace the troubled 550-bed Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany, which has experienced problems with overcrowding and mistreatment of patients. About $22 million in startup money is included in the 2002 budget plan now before the Legislature. The program would cost $32.2 million the next year and $35.2 million each year after that.

A total of 388 patients would be discharged from Greystone, Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow, Camden County, Trenton Psychiatric Hospital and Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital in Glen Gardner.

Those selected for discharge were deemed "appropriate" for more mainstream living situations after an evaluation.

Most would be placed in group homes, supervised homes or with family over the next two years and receive 18 months of care management.

But critics are skeptical of the proposal.

"I`d like to see an outline," Eileen Danielenko, a board member of the Burlington County chapter of the National Association for the Mentally Ill, told The Philadelphia Inquirer in Thursday`s editions. "If they say so much money is going into the community, I`d like to know how, where, and who`s going to be accountable."

State officials say the plan would help hospitals ease overcrowding and staff shortages.

For example, 101 patients would be released from Ancora, where patient population reached as high as 719 in the last six months. That was 94 above capacity. In addition, 66 staff positions are vacant.

"I don`t believe that the plan is going to be a panacea and cure all the ills," said Alan Kaufman, director of the Division of Mental Services. But he said the existing community systems and the hospital system are overtaxed, and the plan would ease that significantly.

State officials say the statewide readmission rate is 41.7 percent, a drop in recent years.

But Phil Lubitz, a coordinator at the New Jersey chapter of the National Association for the Mentally Ill, said the proposal might not ease the readmission rates because hospitals are required to accept patient recommendations by independent screening centers.

Unless that process changes, there`s no guarantee that hospitals would not fill up again, Lubitz said.

Joan Bernato, the mother of a 42-year-old patient at Ancora, said her daughter, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen-ager, has been in and out of psychiatric facilities. Bernato said she did not believe the state would create viable options after patients leave the facilities.

Port Authority Infuses 14.8 Million Into Camden

CAMDEN, N.J. June 21st, 2001 — The Delaware River Port Authority has allocated $14.85 million to promote the Camden-Southeastern Pennsylvania region as a tourist destination and for economic development.

The funding approved Wednesday by the bistate agency includes $2.25 million for a two-year media campaign by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. to promote regional attractions and events to area residents. In an effort to draw more international visitors, the agency allocated $1.1 million for a two-year marketing campaign by the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. The campaign will be aimed at attracting visitors from Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil and Argentina.

The authority cited statistics showing that Boston attracts about 800,000 more visitors from foreign countries than Philadelphia does each year. About 343,000 foreign tourists visited Philadelphia in 1999, according to the International Trade Administration.

The agency also allocated $11.5 million to fund economic development projects to be selected by the authority chairman, vice chairman and executive director.

Of that amount, $8.5 million was allocated for loans, grants and loan guarantees for projects developed in conjunction with entities in the Pennsylvania Port District, which includes Delaware, Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Camden will receive $3 million, including $1 million that was allocated in 1994 but never was used. The measure authorizes port authority staff to work with city officials to create a Camden Economic Development Fund for economic development opportunities in the city.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)