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A news release from Governor Bob Taft today states that the Governor "signed into law Substitute Senate Bill 116, sponsored by Senator Robert Spada (R-North Royalton), which prohibits, with some exceptions, discrimination in group health care policies, contracts, and agreement[s] in the coverage provided for the diagnosis, care and treatment of biologically based mental illnesses."

Governor Taft stated: "Untreated mental illnesses impose great costs on individuals, families, schools, employers, and government. Ensuring access to appropriate treatment for people with a mental illness improves productivity for adults and school success for children." The signed bill becomes effective 90 days after it has been filed with the Secretary of State.

Annual, worldwide deaths from suicide outnumber those from war and homicide combined, according to recent research findings of the World Health Organization's European Multicenter Study on Suicidal Behavior. "Suicidal Behavior: Theories and Research Findngs" is the result of a 15-year study of data collected from 45 European cities.

Among the findings are that 3 to 5 percent of the world's general population have attempted suicide, and that more than one million people each year die by suicide. Those who are separated or divorced had an higher incidence of suicidal conduct than those who are single or married. Alcohol and drug addictions are also associated with more frequent suicidal conduct.

Reference
de Leo, D., Billi-Brahe, U., Kerkhof, A., & Schmidtke, A. (2004). Suicidal behavior: Theories and research findings. Gottinggen, Germany: Hogrefe and Huber Publishers. For a review of the book appearing in the journal Psychiatric Services, click here.

The federal budget proposed on 6 February 2006 by President George W. Bush for fiscal year 2007 includes a $184 million increase for Homeless Assistance Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Homeless Assistance Grants program received a rating of "Effective," because of its program design and strong performance. MHS operates seven Homeless Assistance grant programs, and provides services for two permanent housing programs in collaboration with EDEN, a non-profit housing development organization. The federal budget proposal notes that the "2007 increase will help create and run approximately 12,000 new units of supportive housing across the country for the chronically homeless. These units will be in addition to the 50,000 units that have been created ... In 2006, HUD set a long-term goal to create an additional 40,000 new units between now and the end of 2009."

Three teenagers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were charged with the murder of a 45-year-old homeless man, and assaults on two other homeless men on the morning of 12 January 2006, according to an Associated Press report on MSNBC.com. Two 18-year-old men and a 17-year-old were accused of beating the homeless men with baseball bats. One of the beatings, at Florida Atlantic University, was recorded on a security videotape.

Two of the accused assailants were identified with the help of the security videotapes. Images taken from the videotape were broadcast, and led to their arrests. Their booking photographs, above, were broadcast by MSNBC. Another report states that the assailants frequently bragged about beating homeless people.

One victim, Norris Gaynor, 45 years old, died of head injuries. Jacques Pierre, 58, and Raymond Perez, 49, survived, and were being treated at Broward General Medical Center.

There was a similar series of assaults by teenagers on homeless men in Cleveland, Ohio, more than two years ago. In August 2003, four teenagers from the Youngstown (Ohio) area were accused of kicking and beating homeless men in downtown Cleveland's Public Square. These teenagers videotaped their own assaults. No deaths resulted from these attacks. To read more, click here and scroll down to the news summaries in September, October, and November 2003.

References
Three charged with murder in homeless beating: One teen initially charged only with assault. (2006, January 17). Associated Press. Retrieved 18 January 2006 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10834294/from/ET/

Doctor: Attacks on homeless men 'Humanity at its worst.' (2006, January 18). WTVJ-TV. Retrieved 18 January 2006 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10842931/from/RL.2/

The Plain Dealer awards a "Cheers" on its editorial page "to the Cuyahoga County commissioners, who carved $485,000 out of their budget to continue the pioneering Children Who Witness Violence. Despite strong outside reviews, the program to help traumatized children and their families was due to lose its federal funding this year." (Read about this loss here.)

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