Page 6 • Thursday, February 4, 1999
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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.”
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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
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