That they assigned Ms. Wood-El to this high profile position in a system beset by "incidents" might say much about the culture at New Jersey's mental health department, its insight into the community it serves, its understanding of the press and public relations, its commitment to "transform" the system to one predicated upon the Principles of Wellness & Recovery, its desire to promote that accountability which is required for any process of continuous improvement, etc.

All of that which it can and might say is disheartening.

very disturbing news

those comments from the locals were pretty telling

This is unacceptable. This is appalling. As New Jersey resident, I contacted my state senator (Buono) and state representatives (Barnes and Diegnan) about the hiring of Ms. Wood-El. I relayed the information from this site to them. I let them know my disgust in the matter. I will wait to hear back from them. I usually do.

Phil, thanks for pointing this out to us.

This is your brain.

This is your brain on New Jersey politics.

Any questions?

NO SURPRISE HERE! THIS IS HOW THE F---ING GOOD OLD BOYS/GIRLS SYSTEM WORKS! THEY DON'T GET FIRED, THEY GET PROMOTED!

Stan

Sometimes I feel like I'm beating the proverbial dead horse, when I paste part of one of my entries to a comment form. But, at the risk of sounding repetitive, here goes:

In 2005, the World Health Organization wrote a health treaty for those suffering from mental illness. It stated in part:

The explicit inclusion of the promotion of mental, as well as physical, health is a timely reminder of the importance of looking at health holistically. Poor mental health affects more than 130 million Europeans at a cost to every European household of more than €2,000 per annum. Despite the high personal, social and economic costs too often mental health has been marginalised within public health policy.

This from the WHO. But why only in Europe? In 2002, they stated that 20% of the world's population was Clinically Depressed. That doesn't even begin to address the full matrix of mental health issues!

This and every other country not included in the 2005 Treaty, need to step up and pay attention. We have a pandemic of Depression on our hands and the wolves are in the chicken coop.

Dano.

In our government it really doesn't matter what you do, it's who you know. I think we have seen that in every level, federal, state and municipal and no one is ever held accountable. Just as this woman will never be held accountable for the death of the psych patient in her hospital. They will ultimately twist the facts to make it appear that some low-level orderly is somehow responsible for all the mishaps in the entire system. Sometimes I think "24" is not too far off with the amount of corruption that goes on. This is truly shameful.

Yes, Angie I agree, and it is plain fact that it's a corrupt infrastructure, they can't hide it when it happens to far too many innocent people, who can speak up, and for the ones who have died it's up to all of us to speak for them.
Look how hard I had to fight a group of ppl to keep my daughter from being warehoused at Western. I'm positive they were done with her as much as my voice in the system. It's a sick and twisted political piece of crap we call "psych care". They discriminate against patients and they discriminate against ppl with mental illness who work in the mental healths system as well.

I am soo sorry Philip. I should have been on top of this, but the last 48 hours I am really having problems with the new med cocktail. I missed it.

I've rallied the troops here and we are on top of it....including meetings with the appropriate congress and state senators...

I wish I could say I am surprised, but nothing Corzine does anymore surprises me. What a schumck he is. This would have never happen on Codey's watch.
Codey made mental health issues his one or two priority. He was instrumental in his short reign as governor to make Greystone habitatable and was commended for all the work he did to find housing and jobs for the people who left so they wouldn't be on the street.
His wife is very outspoken about post partum depression.

I also agree with Stephany and Angie on this one as well.

Reading things like this make me sad I live in Joisey.

Dear Philip and Gentle Readers,

It just broke this morning......Ms. Wood-El has had her assigment revoked.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1219466151112520.xml&coll=1