The holiday season is here—a season sometimes less than jolly for families caring for a child with mental health needs. Our children may become depressed and withdraw from family gatherings or they may become hyper with all of the activities and expectations. We know that other children in the family feel the impact of what is going on as our attention and energy is focused on supporting our child with mental health needs.
Taking care of ourselves is critical to surviving the holidays. Take a few minutes alone each day and do something you love to do—sing, walk, pray, read. Buy a small present to give yourself—and be sure to wrap it, too. Recognize that perfect families only exist on television, so celebrate in a way that suits your family and accommodates your child’s needs.
Check out the Mayo Clinic website for some good tips on surviving the holidays at www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030 and take care of yourself!
-Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
SAVE the DATE!
We know you're busy with the holidays, but things really heat up right after the New Year. Our annual Day in Annapolis to lobby on behalf of children's mental health issues is set for Jan. 24, 2006. Look for updates in our next newsletter and via e-mail. We look forward to seeing you in Annapolis next month!
Help Refine Mental Health Screening for Children
Johns Hopkins doctors and the nonprofit Center for Promotion of Child Development through Primary Care are developing a tool to help screen children for mental health problems during routine pediatric check-ups. An electronic parent-caregiver/child/doctor computer system—the Child Health and Development Interactive System—is in the works to accomplish screening through a pre-visit questionnaire filled out by parents, caregivers or the child with a review by the doctor. Follow-up information and a resource database then is available to the physician.
You can help pediatricians and other professionals learn more about children’s social, emotion and behavior development by volunteering to review the questionnaire for the Center to ensure it is easy to understand and easy to complete. It would take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
Visit the website at www.childhealthcare.org for more information. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the coordinator, Tanya Morrel, Ph.D., at tmorrel@childhealthcare.org.
6th Annual Luncheon Wrap-up
More than 125 friends and supporters gathered Nov. 30 at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center to honor 2005 award recipients at the Coalition’s 6th Annual Luncheon.
Loch Raven High School sophomore Kristen Fowler received the Youth Award in recognition of her advocacy efforts for school-based mental health. Brenda Bickel from NAMI Montgomery County received the Jan Yocum dé Calderón Advocate Award. She has served as NAMI’s Child and Adolescent Program coordinator for nearly 11 years and participates on numerous boards and committees, including the Coalition Board of Directors. The Villa Maria Continuum and its administrator, Mark Greenberg, were recognized with the Family Partnership Award.
Luncheon attendees also heard from Arlene F. Lee, the executive director of the Governor’s Office for Children, and were entertained by Al Zachik, M.D., director of Child and Adolescent Services of the Mental Hygiene Administration, reading The Big Box by Toni Morrison.
Students Set to FLI
The Coalition’s Family Leadership Institute (fondly referred to as FLI) will begin its third session in January to train families to become advocates for children with mental health needs. Forty families already have graduated from the intensive, six-month program held once a month at Villa Maria in Timonium, Md. Graduates—called FLIers—are participating actively on local and state committees, facilitating support groups and advocating for other families. Recently, the Wicomico County Local Management Board received a grant to bring FLI to the Lower Shore. In December and January, 14 families will be participating in a special FLI class specifically for the families in Wicomico County. For more information, contact info@mdcoalition.org or call the Coalition’s office at 410.730.8267/1.888.607.3637.
School-based Mental Health
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has received an 18-month federal grant to strengthen access for students and their families to mental health services in schools.
Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, St. Mary’s and Washington counties will participate in the newly created Maryland School Mental Health Alliance. Three schools in each county—an elementary, middle and high school—will participate in the initiative. The Coalition is one of eight partners in the alliance and will take the lead in bringing family voices to the forefront.
The structure includes an Advisory Council whose members include families, youth, school staff and leaders, community staff and leaders, advocate, government officials and researchers. The council is to be chaired by a parent/advocate with guidance from Coalition Executive Director Jane Walker and Coalition staff member Susan Tager.
Family Health Portrait
The U.S. Surgeon General recently released an updated version of the Web-based tool that helps families gather their unique health information. “My Family Health Portrait” organizes family background and information into a printout that can be shared with physicians and other health care professionals to help determine risk factors for various diseases. Read more about this initiative and download the portrait form by visiting www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/.
Upcoming Events
It’s not too early to think about options for summer camps and programs. Here are some resources to get you started:
• Baltimore’s Child January issue is devoted to residential summer camps. It will be available the last week of December.
• Baltimore’s Child February issue is devoted to summer day camps. It will be available the last week of January.
• Howard County Recreation and Parks Summer Camp Expo at Kahler Hall in Columbia, Feb. 12, 2006.
