For five decades, May has been designated as National Mental Health Month to raise awareness of mental health disorders and treatment. It is only in the last two years that there has been a special time set aside in May to observe Children’s Mental Health Awareness. In 2006, May 8 was designated Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. It was such a success that in 2007, the first full week of May—from the 6th through the 12th—has been designated Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
Please keep reading for details on all the ways the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health will be promoting Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
You can show your support for children’s mental health by joining the thousands of people across the country who will be “wearing the green”—ribbons, that is. Much like the pink ribbons used for breast cancer awareness, green ribbons have been adopted to raise awareness of children’s mental health. Imprinted on the ribbons is the message, Children’s Mental Health Matters! The Coalition will be distributing thousands of ribbons at events throughout the week. If you would like a ribbon to wear, contact the Coalition at 410.730.8267 or e-mail info@mdcoalition.org. The supply is limited.
—Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
Children's Mental Health Awareness Week
The Coalition will be promoting Children's Mental Health Awareness in several ways.
On May 8, the Coalition will unveil the second annual Children's Mental Health Awareness Poster at the Mental Hygiene Administration conference. This year's poster was designed by a class of artists at the National Children's Center in Montgomery County . The colorful poster is available by contacting the Coalition office.
Participants in our 2007 Family Leadership Institute (FLI) class have compiled information packets on children's diagnoses, treatments and resources for families. FLIers will distribute approximately 500 information packets in their communities—in such places as day care centers, churches and schools—during Children's Mental Health Awareness Week.
Each day next week, the Coalition will be sending short “e-formation” bulletins about children's mental health to pass along to teachers, friends or colleagues.
Nationally, communities across the nation will hold numerous events to commemorate National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (Awareness Day) on Tuesday, May 8. In conjunction, national organizations are sponsoring a congressional briefing in Washington , D.C. , on that day. The national partners for Awareness Day include the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, Mental Health America , the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Association of Social Workers. Data will be presented to encourage the continued support of comprehensive, community-based mental health services for children and youth and to raise awareness about the effectiveness of school-based mental health programs. Speakers will share their personal stories to “put a face” on the issues that affect children and youth with mental health care needs and their families.
You have a powerful role to play at the community level. Our invitation to members of Congress and their staff to attend the Awareness Day briefing on Capitol Hill is made more effective when they hear from you, their constituents. Here's what you can do:
1. Contact your congressional representative and senators and encourage them to attend the Awareness Day Briefing on Capitol Hill. Let them know how the issues that will be discussed affect your family and your community. If you have it, share data that illustrates how these issues are affecting your district or your state.
2. Call your congressional representative and senators on Monday, May 7, and remind them about the briefing taking place on Tuesday, May 8. Also, point out that these issues are important to the people they represent. If you are leaving voice mails, make sure that your message includes one or two quick data points that are relevant to your community.
By supporting National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, you can speak out for those who need your voice. For more information on Awareness Day, visit SAMHSA or the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health .
Legislative Summary
Children and their families achieved some progress legislatively in the recently completed 2007 General Assembly session in Annapolis. Here is a summary of action on several key measures:
- HB 1226/SB 579 Voluntary Placement—Empowered judges to make a determination that a voluntary placement agreement (VPA) should be used in certain cases. The measure ensures that local department staff are well trained to implement a streamlined process for VPAs and provides families with immediate access to community support services while the VPA process is pending.
- HB 640/SB 646 Patients’ Bill of Rights—Clarifies and alters requirements for individuals in specified facilities concerning restraints and seclusions and requires mental hygiene facilities to have written policies specifying a method for specific patients to communicate distress under particular circumstances.
- HB 1046 Information Campaign on Self Mutilation/Cutting by Youth—Requires the Maryland State Department of Education and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to collaborate on awareness, training and materials on self-mutilation.
- HB 1057 Health Insurance Family Expansion Act—Requires insurance policies or contracts to provide that the same health insurance benefits and eligibility guidelines that apply to covered dependents are available to unmarried children under the age of 25 years who are otherwise not eligible for insurance coverage.
- HB 524 Cultural Competency—Requires the Mental Health Transformation Working Group, the Mental Hygiene Administration and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to convene a workgroup on cultural competency and workforce development for mental health professionals.
- HB 519/SB 263 Specialists and Insurance Provider Panels—Requires a health insurance carrier to establish and implement a procedure for referral to a nonphysician specialist who is not part of a carrier’s provider panel, providing that a specified decision by a carrier constitutes an adverse decision under specified circumstances. The measure applies to all policies, contracts and health benefit plans issued, delivered or renewed on or after Oct. 1, 2007.
Children’s Public Mental Health Services
Nearly 800 family member caregivers responded to a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene telephone survey for fiscal 2006 regarding the care their children received from the state’s public mental health system.
Overall, family members report satisfaction with the mental health services their child received. More than three-quarters of respondents (78 percent) “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with the statement “Overall, I am satisfied with the mental health services [my child] received.”
Measures of satisfaction were consistent for both outpatient services and family support services in such areas as “I participated in my child’s treatment” (95 percent and 94 percent, respectively) and “My family got the help we wanted for my child” (76 percent and 90 percent, respectively).
Caregivers reported their children were doing better at handling daily life (65 percent) and are better able to control their behavior (53 percent); respondents also reported they “know people who will listen and understand me when I need to talk” (85 percent).
Full survey results may be found at http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/mha/misc%20pdf/DHMH-ChildrensBrochure2007-12-14.pdf.
Upcoming Events
- 2007 Parent Seminar Series, Phillips School , 8920 Whiskey Bottom Road , Laurel . In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Phillips Programs is sponsoring seminars on Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon . The cost is $20; 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.
- 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 .
- 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
- “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.
