September 7, 2016 The Skanner Page 9
News
AP PHOTO/ANDREW HARNIK
Hillary Clinton Rolls Out Mental Health Plan
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes a question from a member of the
media on board her campaign plane as she travels to Tampa International Airport in Tampa,
Sept. 6. Last week Clinton announced a plan to increase access to mental health treatment.
By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Contributor
H
illary Clinton said she’s
alarmed by the statistics.
Approximately one in ive
adults in the United States
— or 43.8 million Americans —
experience mental illness in a
given year.
About 18 percent of adults in the
country experienced an anxiety
disorder such as posttraumatic
stress disorder, obsessive-com-
pulsive disorder and speciic pho-
bias.
Also, one in every four college
students experiences a mental
illness.
Statistics like these must and
will be met head on if Clinton is
elected president, she promised
during a media call last week to
unveil her plan to better incorpo-
rate mental health services into
general health care settings.
Clinton said this is her way of
increasing access to treatment.
The former First Lady and Sec-
retary of State told reporters that
among the irst order of business
she’d undertake in the Oval Oice
is to host a White House confer-
ence on mental health.
Steps outlined by Clinton in-
clude retooling reimbursement
systems in Medicare and Medic-
aid and promoting early diagno-
sis and intervention, including
a national suicide prevention
initiative and randomized audits
of insurance companies to make
it more diicult to conceal when
mental health care services are
denied.
“Addiction, homelessness and a
broken criminal justice system”
are byproducts of a poor mental
health system, Clinton said. Fur-
“
and local governments were fully
funded and capable of handling
mental health issues.
When there’s been cooperation,
there has been success, she noted.
“I’ve heard stories of encour-
agement, of people who have been
able to get help,” Clinton said.
“We have to make clear that
mental health is not a personal
failing but that right now our
country is failing. From launch-
ing a suicide prevention initia-
tive to reforming criminal jus-
tice so that low-level ofenders
wind up in treatment and not in
jail; we need to start focusing on
the whole person. Focus on early
detection and treatment and to
make sure that mental health is
covered by insurance,” she said.
Clinton also cited the need to
expand housing and job opportu-
nities as part of the overall reme-
dy for the nation’s mental health
crisis.
“We have to expand providers
and make sure they have the sup-
port and that they deserve. We
will make mental health a nation-
al priority if I am elected presi-
dent,” she said. “We have got to
make sure that every community
in the country have the informa-
tion and the resources that they
‘The human cost is even worse with the
suicide levels at the highest in years.
People are dying from conditions that
go undetected and untreated, too oten’
ther, Americans are losing near-
ly $200 billion each year due to a
lack of care, understanding and
tolerance, she said.
“The human cost is even worse
with the suicide levels at the high-
est in years. People are dying
from conditions that go undetect-
ed and untreated, too oten,” Clin-
ton said.
“I have heard the heartbreaking
stories for years about these in-
credible challenges. During the
campaign, it seems like the lood
gates have opened,” she said.
Clinton, who leads Republican
Presidential nominee Donald
Trump by double digits in most
national polls, said if she were
elected she’d see to it that state
—Hillary Clinton
need.”
Mental health has been a high-
light of the Clinton campaign,
particularly ater she met last
year with individuals at Town
Hall forums who said their fami-
lies were struggling with mental
health and other illnesses.
Clinton had earlier announced
an initiative to speed up the
process for a cure for Alzhei-
mer’s disease, which on Monday
claimed the life of actor Gene
Wilder.
Clinton’s proposal that she
rolled out during the call with re-
porters also called for improving
See HEALTH on page 11
Is it Me — or is My
Dog OCD?
By Dr. Jasmine Shanelle
Streeter, Veterinarian
For The Skanner News
I once had a coworker,
whose dog was OCD.
He’d always chase his
tail and spin and bark in-
cessantly.
My coworker would
laugh and nod and brush
it of with glee.
But compulsive disor-
der in dogs is real -- let’s
see if you agree.
Have you ever known a
dog or two that displayed
abnormal gait?
Did he ever spin or
chase his tail or pace and
pace and pace?
Maybe he was more
the oral type who loved
to lick and chew,
Or suck his paws or
bite his rump or always
eat his poo – eww!
Well we can’t forget the
“special” ones who al-
ways seem quite high.
That hallucinate or ix
a stare or catch imagi-
nary lies.
The cause of this is still
unclear but it happens in
the brain.
Sometimes it’s trig-
gered by frustration,
sometimes no one’s to
blame.
There are a couple
breeds to watch who are
predisposed for thee.
Pit bulls and German
Shepherds spin or sim-
ply stop and freeze.
It’s said Great Danes
and Shorthaired Point-
ers love to run a fence.
And Dobermans can
act quite childish suck-
ing blankets for defense.
The normal time when
signs appear is right at
Dr. Jasmine and her dog Sheba
puberty ( sixmonths).
It seems to target males
no doubt with greater
frequency.
Not every dog that
shows these traits should
see a vet like me.
If it’s not harmful to
their health, you might
well let them be.
Of course you have to
factor in your mental
sanity.
But if you’re cool Snap-
chat a vid or post a pic to
IG.
Go watch your Gucci
wilding out on imagi-
nary rain.
Might mean he’s per-
fect for a life in Port-
land’s humid terrain.
But if this madness you
can’t bear is becoming
just a pain.
Well take him in to a
behavior vet -- I’m sure
they’d love to learn his
name.
Do you have a pet topic
you’d like to learn more
about? I’d love to hear
from you! Write me at
drjasmine@theskanner.
com
Make The Skanner
part of your daily routine
for a better day today
and tomorrow.
Get a quick update or enjoy
an in-depth read on your
desktop.
Grab the headlines from your
mobile device. Tap to view
events and announcements.
Don’t miss anything! Page
through the latest print
edition online.