In 2003, the Coalition released a report, Relinquishing Custody: An Act of Desperation . The report summarized findings of a survey of families faced with the possibility of having to relinquish custody of their child to gain access to intensive mental health care for their child. Often the child needed such services as residential treatment not provided through their private insurance. The Coalition joined with the Maryland Disability Law Center (MDLC) to successfully advocate for legislation that would enable families to request a “voluntary placement” (VPA) for their child through the Department of Social Services without having to give up custody of their child to the state.
Some problems have been noted since the measure passed, so this year the Coalition and MDLC have partnered again to support legislation (S.B. 579) to assist families faced with the possibility of requesting a VPA because of their child's intensive mental health needs.
In the end, our wish is that every child and adolescent would have swift access to the mental health services they need—no matter what!
—Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
Legislative Update
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted S.B. 579—Children with Disabilities Voluntary Placement Agreements out of committee 10–0, which means it easily should pass in the full Senate. The bill, jointly advocated by the Maryland Coalition of Families and MDLC, builds upon legislation passed in 2003 that enables families to seek a voluntary placement for their child with intensive needs rather than having to relinquish custody to the Department of Social Services.
Provisions in S.B. 579 would require that each local Department of Social Services designate a staff person to administer requests for voluntary placement and to provide training for staff on procedures for a voluntary placement. Additionally, upon a request for a voluntary placement, the local Department of Social Services would refer the case to the Local Coordinating Council to determine whether any alternative or interim services for the child and family may be provided by any agency. Because the process for a voluntary placement may take several months, the new provision enables families to access services while going through the lengthy process for a voluntary placement. The bill also gives the court authority to order the Department of Social Services to assess the child's eligibility for a voluntary placement.
What's Up with the HSAs?
The state Board of Education in August will consider a recommendation from Maryland Superintendent Nancy Grasmick to adjust the High School Assessment (HSA) requirement for students in special education, English language learners and students with 504 plans.
Reviews of test results from the last several years indicates a likelihood that most students will pass the exams in algebra/data analysis, biology, government and English and thus be eligible for their high school diploma (the tests are a graduation requirement for the high school class of 2009 and later). But data reveal three groups of students would require tremendous interventions to meet the standards, and in the words of Dr. Grasmick, the tests “were never intended to place extraordinary strains on our most vulnerable learners as they work to complete their high school careers.”
State officials anticipate a one- or two-year delay will be set for students in the three groups after 2007 test results are analyzed. However, special services students will continue to take the assessments and their results will be included in measures of school performance.
In a related venture, Maryland is set to pilot the Comparable HSA (Comp HSA) in the 2007–2008 school year. This assessment tests the same content as the HSA, but is designed to be more suitable for students who struggle with traditional tests.
New Drug Warnings
The federal Food and Drug Administration has directed pharmaceutical manufacturers to develop patient medical guides for their products approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These guides are meant to alert patients to possible cardiovascular risks and the risk of adverse psychiatric symptoms associated with the medicines and precautions that may be taken to mitigate such risks.
Patient medication guides for each product may be found at www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ADHD/default.htm .
Medical Assistance Grants Available
The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet the needs of children across the United States with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance. Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000 for health care services to improve their children's health and quality of life.
Medical services covered by UHCCF grants include speech therapy, physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions; such medical equipment as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eyeglasses; and orthodontia and dental treatments.
Any child 16 years old or younger living in any UnitedHealthcare region of the United States and in need of financial assistance for health care services is eligible for a grant. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. Visit www.uhccf.org for program guidelines and eligibility requirements.
School-based Mental Health
Committees in the four counties that piloted the 18-month school grant as part of the Maryland School Mental Health Alliance (MSMHA) are continuing their work. Anne Arundel, Harford, St. Mary's and Washington counties participated in the efforts to link community resources with schools and are building on that foundation to assist schoolchildren.
The project compiled a tremendous amount of resource material for parents, providers, educators and others, including fact sheets on bullying prevention, home and hospital, crisis planning and the like. Visit the MSMHA website at: http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/studentschoolsvcs
/student_services_alt/md_school_mental_health_alliance/ .
A separate effort by the National Assembly on School-based Health Care is investigating best practices in what it calls “progressive” states to help spread the word throughout the country. As part of a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, the assembly held three focus group in Maryland , including one hosted by the Coalition. Results are being analyzed and will be included in a full report by year's end. Visit http://www.nasbhc.org/ for more information.
Upcoming Events
> 2007 Parent Seminar Series, Phillips School , 8920 Whiskey Bottom Road , Laurel . In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Phillips Programs is sponsoring a three-part series of seminars on Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The cost is $20 per seminar or $50 for all three seminars; scholarships and child care are available. Preregistration is required; visit www.phillipsprograms.org for a brochure and registration form, call Lindsay Harris at 703-941-8810 or e-mail parent.seminars@phillipsprograms.org for more information.
- April 14, 2007. I'm Special, Too! Siblings of Children with Special Needs
- May 5, 2007. Maintaining Calm Amidst Chaos: Dealing with Power Struggles
- Parents' Place of Maryland Training, 90-minute workshops by telephone. Hear from experts about parent rights in special education, services, transition and advocacy. Preregistration required; dial-in information for teleconferences will be sent upon registration. To register, contact Rochelle Howell at 410-768-9100 Ext. 109, e-mail Rochelle@ppmd.org .
- April 11, 10–11:30 a.m. Individualized Education, Rochelle Howell, parent educator
- April 18, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Extended School Year Services, Missy Alexander, parent educator
- April 25, 10–11:30 a.m. Effective Advocacy, Rochelle Howell
- May 9, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Changes to the IEP—What Parents Need to Know, Missy Alexander, parent educator
- May 16, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Least Restrictive Environment, Debbie DiPaulo, parent educator
> Anxiety: It Cuts Across All Diagnoses, April 16, 7–9 p.m., The ARC of Howard County, 6100 Homewood Road, Ellicott City. Presentation on trends, thoughts and treatments for childhood anxiety and depression by Dr. Daniel Pine, chief of child and adolescent research in the Mood and Anxiety Disorder Program at the National Institute of Mental Health. Please RSVP to tlkemp2@comcast.net ; visit www.chadd-mc.org/downloads/anxiety4_16_07.doc for more information.
> “A Chance to Parent” conference, May 18, Maryland State Fairgrounds, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The Mid-Atlantic Coalition for Supporting Parents with Cognitive Challenges and their families hosts this conference at 2200 York Road, 2nd Floor, Vista Room (between the expo hall and the racetrack). Highlights include speakers from the Marcus Institute and various universities, a parent panel and a legal panel. Register by May 4; $65 fee includes continental breakfast and entrance into the World of Possibilities Disability Expo. Visit http://www.ddamaryland.org/Training/3rdversion.pdf for more information and registration information.
> Child Art Therapy Training Workshop: “Healing Children Through Creativity,” June 4–5, 2007, Johns Hopkins University , Homewood Campus Conference Center , Baltimore . Focus on children with mental health needs and medical stress. Visit www.paintedchild.com for more information.
> 4th Annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference: Connecting Families with Evidence-Based Practice, Practice-Based Evidence and Promising Practices, June 5–6, 2007, Sheraton Columbia Hotel. Sponsored by the Mental Hygiene Administration, Mental Health Transformation Grant, Maryland State Department of Education and Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health.
