As the chief director of the Texas Chapter of the Nationwide Affiliation of Social Employees, I used to be happy with the commentary on the significance of Medicaid managed care in the case of treating psychological well being situations.

As social employees, we see and deal with all kinds of psychological well being diseases and situations. It’s essential that we not solely speak about alternatives for enchancment within the psychological well being area, however we should additionally acknowledge current applications that work to help the psychological well being supplier group.

Social employees take part in Medicaid managed care via the coordinated care side of this system. Because the piece talked about, this mannequin is important in the case of offering prime quality and complete therapy.

Having a system in place that manages communication is useful to the affected person and social employees. We’re grateful for Medicaid managed care and we echo its significance.

Will Francis, govt director of the Nationwide Affiliation of Social Employees – Texas Chapter, Austin

Maternal mortality fee information is

essential in stopping deaths

The U.S. has the very best maternal mortality fee among developed nations. Texas is among the many states with higher death rates.

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention simply introduced that 4 out of 5 maternal deaths are preventable. Regardless of this, Well being Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt selected, in an election 12 months, to prevent maternal mortality data from being launched on the legally required date of Sept. 1. This deadline of each even 12 months is designed to provide information that can be utilized to assist discover prevention methods. These methods are sometimes funded by the state legislature, which meets 4 months later. The data, accomplished by the hard-working Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Assessment Committee, was accessible previous to that date.

This information is important to understanding and stopping future deaths, and the delay has the true impact of inflicting extra maternal deaths. Gov. Abbott ought to demand this information be opened to the general public and legislature instantly.

Diana Weihs, Austin

Cash for Abbott’s mean-spirited

grandstanding, however not for academics

Gov. Abbott, in acts of petty vindictiveness, is foisting immigrants on fellow People in different states.

He finds funds to bus these individuals — mostly Venezuelans escaping an authoritarian regime — for different municipalities to cope with.

That is mean-spirited, political showboating at a price of round $14 million as of mid-August, but he cannot discover, or refuses funding to maintain academics in our faculties. Educators are a few of the most essential individuals in our lives, and we want them. We do not want Greg Abbott.

John Nugent, Georgetown

The officers he knew wouldn’t have

hesitated to save lots of the kids in Uvalde

I labored because the jailer for a small city in Montana some years in the past. We had a chief, 4 policemen and a sheriff.

I can’t think about any one among them not going into that classroom to save lots of these kids with out hesitation, with out “the correct coaching,” with out ready for path from superiors.

We had a reputation for individuals who wouldn’t have gone in. It comes from the back-end of a rooster – and it’s not an egg.

Ron Magnuson, Austin

It is gone time for the state

to legalize the sale of hashish

When Gov. Abbott and Beto O’Rourke debate on Sept. 30, I might like to listen to Abbott’s rationale for conserving cannabis illegal aside from a really slender vary of medical functions, and O’Rourke’s causes for legalizing its sale for leisure and medical functions.

In truth, I’d like all Democratic candidates operating in any respect ranges of presidency to make the total legalization of hashish entrance and middle of their campaigns. It’s the correct factor to do from an ethical and authorized perspective, and Texas is leaving thousands and thousands of {dollars} in tax cash on the desk by failing to legalize hashish.

It’s gone time for Texas to affix the majority of states in addition to Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands in legalizing hashish for medical and leisure use. The nice residents of Texas deserve no much less.

Lucy F. Petrucelli, Austin

Immigrants aren’t political pawns;

they’re people deserving compassion

The actions of Gov. Abbott are despicable and inhumane. Taking part in politics with immigrants’ lives reveals an unimaginable lack of humanity.

They’ve traveled far, dealing with hardship to flee issues in their very own nations. Arriving in Texas they’re loaded on buses and shuttled throughout the nation. That is Gov. Abbott’s “Welcome to the USA!”

In case he has forgotten American historical past, we’re all immigrants aside from the Native People.

Gov. Abbott, it’s essential to have some compassion and empathy. These immigrants are human beings, not pawns in your political video games.

Cheryl Keenan, Lexington, Kentucky

Retired trainer absolutely made a

distinction in his college students’ lives

Re: Sept. 21 commentary, “I’m a retired teacher. I know you can ban books, but you can’t ban their ideas.“

The Sept. 21 visitor column about guide banning is an ideal piece of prose. From the dynamic hook, “I used to be mortified” to the final jarring sentence, “We by no means talked about it,” and every little thing in between reminiscent of, “A ban can not destroy our artistic nature or our must query or our must know or our need to enhance what we have now.”

The author, a former trainer, did what all good academics do. He took a nuanced strategy towards a problem, and did it in a vibrant, relatable method.

To this trainer I say, I might have liked to have been in your class. Out of your article alone, I do know your college students gained quite a lot of perception and understanding, and also you made a constructive distinction of their lives. Thanks.

Valerie Goranson, Spherical Rock

Why cannot Abbott focus as an alternative on the youngsters

who fall via cracks below state’s care

I’ve a query for Gov. Abbott.

As reported by the Statesman, “[A] federal choose, backed by a U.S. appeals court docket, has discovered {that a} ‘mixture of unmanageable caseloads and excessive caseworker turnover creates a ‘cycle of disaster’ that permits kids to fall via the cracks,” and that “[h]undreds of kids below the state’s care have been compelled to sleep in inns and workplace buildings, typically supervised by unlicensed caretakers.”

My query: If the governor of Texas can spend thousands and thousands of {dollars} placing migrants who search a greater future on buses, why can’t this identical governor do a greater job of serving to and defending the kids of Texas who additionally hope for a greater future?

Joe Pastusek, Pflugerville

A witness to poor driving calls on

Austin drivers to comply with the legal guidelines

I’ve been driving via Austin currently and seeing some poor driving.

One current morning I used to be driving south on Lamar Boulevard close to thirty fifth Avenue. I finished within the quick lane as I noticed forward of me a person carrying a pillow and utilizing a white cane for the blind and visually impaired. A automotive within the “slower lane” was dashing and nearly hit him, spinning him round in a circle. That automotive didn’t even decelerate.One other week I witnessed a pedestrian step out right into a crosswalk to cross and a automotive turning proper lower in entrance, inflicting the lady to place her arms on the hood of the automotive to cease herself.

Austin has many colleges, together with these for the blind or the deaf. Please comply with Texas driving guidelines. Watch out!

Irene Muzet, Leander

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