SRQ DAILY Aug 20, 2014
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"If we said to a diabetes patient there was no help until they entered a coma or a heart disease patient there was no help until they had a heart attack, we would say that's absurd. Yet that's how we treat the mentally ill."
Whether studying the underlying cause of why transients continue living on the streets in downtown Sarasota or unlocking how the funniest man alive could become so depressed he would commit suicide, the subject of mental health has increasingly made headlines here and nationwide. A town hall held at New College of Florida with two Congressmen sought out support for a new approach to treating mental disorders in America and explored the impact such policy might have on Southwest Florida.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, hosted the town hall event with guest U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pennsylvania. Murphy was tasked by House leadership in early 2013, after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut when Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six faculty members, with investigating shortcomings in mental health services within the United States. In December, Murphy introduced the Mental Health Crisis Act to address such issues and is now rallying support for the legislation. Both Congressmen sat down with SRQ to discuss the issue in-depth.
"We have seen in the last 20 years more serious problems with the lack of treatment for the mentally ill," said Murphy, a psychiatrist by trade. He notes that 70 years ago, the country had nearly 600,000 inpatient psychiatric beds for a population of roughly 150 million people. Today, the nation's population has grown beyond 316 million but the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped to fewer than 40,000.
While both Congressmen at the Tuesday town hall were Republicans, the effort has been approached in a bipartisan fashion. Buchanan this year co-chairs the Florida Congressional Delegation along with with U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fort Lauderdale, and both Hastings and Buchanan have co-sponsored the legislation. The bill as of Tuesday had 96 co-sponsors, including six Florida Congressmen. Buchanan said he would like the entire Florida delegation to support the bill.
"We have issues in our own community with homelessness," Buchanan said. "I have seen veterans sleeping on the steps outside. We haven't addressed this whole thing since JFK." He noted 1 in 4 people will be impacted by a mental illness at some point.
Murphy's bill seeks, among its provisions, to address a shortage of facilities to treat the mentally ill. He notes that 70 years ago, the country had nearly 600,000 inpatient psychiatric beds for a population of roughly 150 million people. Today, the nation's population has grown beyond 316 million but the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped to fewer than 40,000.
Of course, that was one of the issues at hand in Sarasota during discussions of a come-as-you-are shelter for transients who cannot stay at other shelters because of addiction issues and behavior problems. The shelter effort seems in limbo at the moment; the City of Sarasota last month withdrew its support for finding a shelter location. "I was disappointed we didn't move forward with that," Buchanan said. "A lot of people felt strongly about it. We haven't done something to address this problem in 15 or 20 years and there is a lot of built-up frustration." But he said the Murphy bill could address some of the problems.
Murphy also wants an administration position created for an assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, a person who would work for the Department of Health and Human Services but act as an intra-agency envoy connecting related services from a variety of departments.
The town hall event covered a wide range of issues, everything from the current shortcomings in Medicare when it comes to covering prescriptions for psychiatric medicine to some of the warning signs before Robin Williams' depression-driven suicide. Many attendees were hopeful that the legislation would address an issue long left ignored in the halls of power. "It's a big problem," said Ann Jerman, program chair for the National Alliance of Mental Illness Manatee County. "A lot of the money that comes s directed toward children services, and rightly so, but what happens then to adults?"
Murphy was optimistic that necessary spending by the federal government to enact his legislation could be offset in savings from various other social services, such as jail and court costs and healthcare costs related to programs that only serve the critically ill.
Sometimes you need to wake up your palate and go out in search of new flavors. Lucky for you, Michael’s on East has been featuring its Chilean Epicurean Adventure menu this month and so you don’t have to travel far. This three-course specialty menu features diverse dishes bold in flavor and bountiful with the culinary essence of Chile.
The Empanada de Carne starter is a crunchy and savory explosion. What makes this empanada truly stand out is the oregano, dill and parsley chimichurri sauce. The spiced and perfectly salted ground beef, raisin, potato and olive mixture find a delicious harmony when accompanied by the herby smoothness of this sauce. That sauce should be bottled and sold, it is that good.
The Chilean seafood bouillabaisse, Paila Marina, will certainly please any shellfish or seafood lover. Aromatic with a hint of chili peppers (you can’t have Chilean food without it), this dish is brimming with lip mussels, clams, shrimp and corvina. Of course, Michael’s amazing bread basket is the perfect accoutrement to sop up all that delicious shellfish fume.
Without hesitation, order the Alfajores Ice Cream sandwich for dessert. After a little heat from the peppers, a cool and creamy treat will end this adventure on a very sweet note. Dulce de Leche ice cream is sandwiched in between crispy butter cookies that have been lovingly drizzled with dark chocolate fudge and toasted coconut shreds.
The Chilean Epicurean Adventure is available through Aug. 31. The three-course dinner menu is $34.95 per person and the two-course lunch menu is $18.95. Selected wine pairings from Chilean vintner, Santa Ema are available for $10 during dinner and $5 during lunch.
Michael's on East, 1212 East Ave. S., 941-366-0007
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has hired a USF alumna to the university staff. Dr. Su Senapati will work as the Faculty Coordinator for Learning Support Services while also teaching as an English Instructor with the College of Arts and Sciences. Senapati joins USF Sarasota-Manatee after serving as a faculty member and writing center coordinator at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Georgia. Prior to her time at Baldwin, Senapati taught in the English and Women’s Studies Departments at USF Tampa where she also earned her Ph. D. in English.
The Amazing Candle, a novelty candle launched by Manatee County-based, family-owned firm Jaxx Marketing, is experiencing massive nationwide growth and has recently been placed at several area Walmart stores for purchase. The Amazing Candle when lit, sparkles dramatically, lights many mini candles as it opens, spins and plays “Happy Birthday to You”. The Amazing Candle comes in a variety of colors and styles including rainbow, solid colors, soccer and football and appeals to all ages.
R. Christopher Sharek has joined engineering firm NV5 as director of engineering and will be based in Sarasota within its Infrastructure Division to provide NV5 with a great opportunity to expand into the Sarasota area market and open a Sarasota Office. A licensed professional engineer, Sharek has worked in the Sarasota and Manatee Counties for 16 years. He is a graduate of both the Leadership Sarasota and Leadership Manatee Programs.
Our November SRQ will feature a special section: the Home Gallery Roundtable. Perfect for realtors, interior designers, homebuilders, architects, remodelers, and renovation contractors, this is your chance to ensure locals and visitors know all about you. Contact us at 941-365-7702 x211 or GrowMyBusiness@srqmag.com for more information on this opportunity. Space closes September 10, 2014.
SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email |
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