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Mental Health Task Force Issues Final Report

November 29, 2006 By

It’s official as the Missouri Mental Health Task Force issues its final report to the governor. The report contains 25 recommendations to correct the abuse and neglect of mental health patients. Governor Blunt formed the task force after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a series of articles detailing the abuse of mental patients under the care of the state, patients in both state facilities and community centers with state contracts. The articles concentrated on the years 2000 to 2004, a period in which the State Auditor also investigated the Department of Mental Health. Some of the abuse during that period turned fatal. The reports linked 21 deaths to abuse and neglect at both private and public facilities. Mental Health Department Interim Director Ron Dittemore says the department has already implemented some recommendations, many of them having to do with the sensitivity of its staff. Dittemore says staff complacency about reported abuse will not be tolerated. Dittemore co-chaired the task force along with Lt. Governor Peter Kinder who emphasizes the report calls for more transparency in how the department investigates cases. Kinder says the legislature found a few years ago when reviewing juvenile and foster care issues that secrecy is an invitation to abuse. Among the recommendations: more money to attract quality mental health staff, better staff training, increased penalties for failure to report abuse and neglect and accreditation of all state habilitation centers.

Related web sites:
Mental Health Task Force
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Secretary of State Signs Off on Official Tally of Votes

November 29, 2006 By

The final count is finally in from an election bogged with voter I-D confusion and ballot shortages in some districts. A signature from the Secretary of State Robin Carnahan certified the tally of all votes from Election Day and from absentee and provisional ballots cast after the election… except for Jackson County. Carnahan says she’s not sure why, but officials still haven’t submitted the provisional ballots from that county. She says only one recount of votes is likely in the works. Totals for the 124th district’s state representative race came in under the one percent margin. Carnahan says Democratic challenger Luke Scavuzzo topped Republican incumbent Rex Rectorwith by just 22 votes and she does expect a request for a recount. Her office would have about a month to process the second tally of votes. One thing Carnahan didn’t sign off on was the state’s voting procedures. The Secretary of State suggests advanced voting, more educted poll workers and more polling stations to help streamline the voting process.

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UMSL Student Killed in Frat House Fire

November 29, 2006 By

A University of Missouri-St. Louis student has been killed in a fire in a fraternity house. Police say the victim is 25-year-old Brian Schlittler. Authorities say the fire began early this morning and was noticed when one of three students living in the frat house returned home to find a couch on fire. He awoke his two house mates. One got out, but Schlittler didn’t make it. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Anderson Investigation Uncovers No State Violations

November 29, 2006 By

State officials acknowledge the investigation of the Anderson Guest House fire has given them few clues as to what went wrong or what the state might be able to do to prevent future deadly fires. Lt. Governor Peter Kinder interrupted a news conference announcing the findings of the Mental Health Task Force to address the deadly fire in Anderson. Sixteen of the 33 residents were State Department of Mental Health clients. Three of the ten who were killed in the fire received state services. Kinder pointed out state officials inspected the Anderson Guest House in March and though inspectors found a series of minor violations, they didn’t discover any fire safety violations. The Anderson Guest House is a residential care facility and doesn’t come under the state requirement to have sprinklers. The state only requires sprinklers in assisted living facilities. Kinder added that making homes such as the Anderson house come under such regulations would add to the shortage of housing for ambulatory residents. The Anderson Guest House served both the mentally ill and the elderly. Kinder says nothing he has learned from the Anderson investigation would lead him to suggest changes to the recommendations issued by the Mental Health Task Force.

Filed Under: Legislature, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Compensation Commission Recommends Raises for Elected Officials

November 29, 2006 By

Missouri’s elected officials stand to bring home bigger paychecks if the recommendations of a state commission are enacted. The Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials has completed its final report and has approved pay raises for legislators, judges, and statewide office holders. Chairman Jack Pohrer says only the General Assembly will be able to overturn or reject the recommendations, and that would require a two-thirds’ majority of both the House and Senate. As part of the recommendation statewide office holders and judges would receive $1,200 lump sum payments on July 1st, 2007 – the start of the 2008 Fiscal Year. Associate Circuit Judges would receive an additional $2,000 payment. All judges and statewide office holders would then be entitled to 4 percent pay increases. Legislators would receive the $1,200 lump sum payment, but not until January of 2009. They would also receive 4 percent pay raises. Under the proposal, all elected officials would receive any future pay increases approved for other state workers.

Filed Under: Politics & Government
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