July 12, 2006

Well, I had my first outing today. Went to breakfast at my favorite cafe and then had a meeting with the Director of Adult Mental Health Services for the State of Maine. Which gives me a great opportunity to talk about what I do when I am not laid up from surgery. I advocate to the state Department of Health and Human Services on behalf of consumers of Mental Health Services. In other words, I attend meetings with the department and others in order to try and make it clear that consumers of these services need the respect and voice consumers of other services receive. Right now I am knee deep in working with the State to implement a Managed Care system for Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse. I am not happy that these populations have been singled out for Managed Care, but am working to make sure it ends up being the best managed care system out there. We are really lucky in Maine to have people in the DHHS who are committed to a system of care that is appropriate and responsive to the needs of the people who use the services. Today was a meeting with one of those very accessible "higher ups".

My knee is doing very well though the bandage is causing great annoyance and itching behind my knee. I see the doctor next Wednesday and then start PT after that. It is a process, but hopefully I will end up with a more mobile knee, that is sturdy and solid.

more later...