Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1999)
Page 6 • Thursday, February 4, 1999 s TATE lattalion Advocates rally for mental health funds AUSTIN (AP) — Theresa Wolfe was diagnosed with severe depression when she was eight, after an early childhood scarred by physical and sexual abuse. “If I could have gotten help back then, I could have become a college graduate instead of doing five-and-dime sorts of work,” said Wolfe, 54, who makes and sells ceramics in San Ange lo. Wolfe was one of some 200 health care advocates, many of whom suffer from mental illness, who rallied at the Capitol Wednesday for increased state funding for a new generation of drugs to treat schizophrenia and depression. Waving banners and signs that said “New Dollars, New Medications, and New Beginnings,” the advocates called on the Texas Legislature to provide $150 million over the next two years to fund new medications and community sup port services. According to the Mental Health As sociation in Texas, some 2.8 million peo- “/f I could have gotten help back then, I could have become a college graduate...” — Theresa Wolfe Health care advocate pie suffer statewide from a mental ill ness, including 200,000 who have schizophrenia, also known as multiple personality disorder. Joe Lovelace, president of the Texas chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, said that at least 34,000 people could benefit from breakthrough antipsychotic drugs, which have already helped more than 11,700 Texans — in cluding his own son, who has schizo phrenia. “Persons diagnosed with schizo phrenia have been banished to the back wards of state hospitals or left to over burdened community facilities,” Lovelace said. “It is time to close the gap and at the same time reduce demands on inpatient services, hospitals, law en forcement services and the welfare sys tem.” Lovelace added that after taking some of the new drugs, his son was able to hold a part-time job, rent an apart ment and maintain a relationship with his girlfriend. UT pledges more contracts to minority businesses AUSTIN (AP) — The Uni versity of Texas and two state government agencies are pledging to offer more con tracting to minority and women-owned businesses. UT, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation have signed a memorandum of co operation with two minority business groups. The memo, signed Tues day, is with the Texas Mexi- can-American Chambers of Commerce and the Texas As sociation of African-Ameri can Chambers of Commerce. Joe Morin, chairman of the Mexican-American chamber, said other agencies have signed such agreements in the past and that more could be announced this year. In the agreement, the agencies promised to help make it easier for the busi nesses to be aware of con tracts being put out for bids. They also agreed to break up large contracts when possible so smaller companies have a better chance of competing for the work. Under state law, govern ment agencies are required to make good-faith efforts at contracting with “historical ly underutilized businesses,” or HUBs. Those are defined as businesses owned by eth nic or racial minorities and women. Judge questions prisoner health care AUSTIN (AP) — A federal judge has expressed dis may about the medical care that inmates are receiving in prisons across Texas. Senior U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice, halfway through a monthlong hearing on prison condi tions, acknowledged that inmates seem to be getting good care at prison hospitals and other medical institu tions. But he suggested that follow-up care at prison units is lacking. The state’s system of inmate health care relies heav ily upon the services of medical schools based in Galve ston and Lubbock. Echoing the complaints of inmates and their expert witnesses. Justice raised questions about whether prison guards routinely ignore work restrictions for in jured convicts. He also asked why so many inmates turn up with broken jaws, and he wondered whether the system was using older, less effective drugs just to save money. “A number of (inmate) complaints indicate a large number of facial injuries as a result of prisoners falling with their hands handcuffed behind their backs, some times in disturbances with security guards,” Justice said. The judge aired the concerns during his interroga tion of Dr. David R. Smith, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, who also serves as chairman of the State Criminal Justice Man aged Health Care Advisory Committee. “They complain about what happens back at the units,” Justice told Smith, adding that “medical orders are not complied with and ignored by officers.” FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5 & 6 SHOP BOTH DAYS 8 AM TIL 11 PM 0% FINANCE CHARGE. BUY NOW, NO PAYMENT ’TIL JUNE SHOP EARLY BIRD SPECIALS FRIDAY & SATURDAY 8 AM • 12 NOON ‘Deferred billing available on your Foley s charge with no finance during deferred period. See sales associate for details. Certain items excluded. Offer may end at any time. APR 21.6%. 50 cent minimum Interim markdowns may have been taken on original prices. FOLEY r S THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD Tech patify find ma\ olhwi to •-T ' /arindt. with Sens CO VC Aus ™ (Ai I e supports kc an independ of SOI know it’s LUBBOCK (AP) - T: }t o! people i inescapable and unheai: jture,” Bush ; Gail House, 62, n: jnt part of th muscles would cram[ jrovnles a ve so tightly that blood gnj' burst. But for years, Bush met treatments failed, doc. lack caucus i the pain might be noth ior{ is a boos her imagination. ersity in Hou Now, House and ot: rejconsiderii are finding relief at nto a state m lion’s foremost resear: Lawmaker; pain, the Pain Center chpol’s uniq Tech Health Sciences: tudents is as No drugs. No painfS meditation, breathing and stretching. House others say the Eastern treatment has succeeded ditional science failed “l ''till have somepi^JUSTlN (/ much less than I’ve had eat tenure in several yeai-'." House hchuidscm, i now sure that one day hengthen T< up and the pain willt* :re . ase penalt er. I believe that with ahcrts. and soul.” 1 t, I l en - -kme I Pat Randolph, dire in }ilar legisk chological Services, he;. I Texans te in the field of psycho 1 day of wor merit at the Pain Center ^ ovvn die hig K.mdulph's most re l boitl: and t published in the fall ft v hose legisk Digest, found that am ee ’ n previoi who use meditation,75 Jh Each tim ported improvement: be. We not < 80 percent said their a halides, w die stress increased, 'dded. No one knows win- Hbl cited i develop chronic pain 3er ished in < say that for many it isi , T ’ a ' t hou years of stress, subjecti 5a ^ et y> whic mal conditions andgei ■ )eo P* e were DPS offic ^0.4 percent Lawmaker reai hear from witnesses school t Nelson pt ?xtra incent doa. This time said, but me l|||f new fei both repeat < Container la ?XBS woulc ion in high\ AUSTIN (AP) - poor San Antonio school V pi ograms volved in a private voti' That amt gram warned lawmaker’80 million day against starting '' ons are no program. i pDavid Lm “Vouchers are not th Nation Ct said Dolores Munoz, si lani P er C011 dent of schools for theprojects Independent SchoolDisi en ( ' budget wood led the landmark r * We re >j £ over public school finan la ndicap, Last year, thedistricti lave 011 r ot by the private, non-pit dren’s Educational Of; . Foundation for a 10- lion plan to provide money to attend privates: Munoz said so far, have left taking with lion in state funding. “That $4 million coi gone to teacher training/^ 1 supplies,” she said. 345 1234 or w Under a pilot progk # xip;//boxoHice.i considered by lawmakectkv 20,000 Texas public scW dents who are low-incff have failed the state skills test could gettaxpa’ ed vouchers to attend school. “After 50 years of deal the public school systen: ing to do something aW the Legislature,” said Any spokeswoman of the San Parents for School Choicf Gov. George W. Bush to vouchers one of histopf this session and hassuppT lot program that would a dents in low-performingT transfer to private ones. Elsewhere: MOVING QUICKl' A bill to give a $45m® : porary tax break to small ducers won the endorse# Senate Finance Commit 1 ' proved without opposition heads to the full Sen# quick action also is expect' LOWER SALES Lottery officials did to vince Sen. Bill Ratliff and : ate Finance Committee ot 1 to undo a reduction in pto outs approved in 1997. Lot ficials said Texas will lot than $5 billion in ticket salt next five years unless la" pump up prizes on sen games. Responded Ratliff,' Pleasant; “If they sell less there are fewer people" 1 ' made a bad investment Buc unde This A\ student ; ^eirus Executi 1980, £ c ountry Endow w as an Elub. i