Children's Mental Health Awareness week is over for this year. I confess that we are catching our breath.
Thanks to all who wore green bracelets or ribbons during the week to show the world that children's mental health matters! Thanks to the student artist at the Children's Guild for our beautiful 2009 poster. Thanks to our honorary chair, First Lady Mrs. Katie O'Malley, and to our spokeswoman, Mrs. Debbie Phelps, for their commitment to children and for graciously giving their time for campaign events. Thanks to Sequis and Producers Video for producing the powerful public service announcements that have been airing on television during the month of May. Thanks to our media partners, ABC 2 and Fox 45. And lastly, thanks to our wonderful campaign partners, the Mental Health Association of Maryland, the Mental Hygiene Administration and the Maryland Transformation Office.
While the campaign may be over, the need to raise awareness never stops!
- Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
Maryland's Continuum of Care
Previous issues of the newsletter have focused on one aspect of Maryland's continuum of care for children with mental health needs, residential treatment centers. This month, we look at other pieces of the continuum.
Communities provide different types of treatment programs and services for children and adolescents with mental health needs. The complete range of programs and services is referred to as the continuum of care. The continuum ranges from the least intensive to the most intensive. Some services specifically address the needs of children at different ages. Not every community has every type of service or program on the continuum.
The following is a brief description of the different services or programs in a continuum of care:
Services for children and youth have expanded dramatically in the last decade. Unfortunately, many of these services are only available in some jurisdictions and may be limited to children who have Medicaid. Check with the core service agency (CSA) in your jurisdiction to see what services are available in your community. The CSA is responsible for oversight of mental health services in each jurisdiction. To find the core service agency where you live, go to http://www.dhmh.maryland.gov/mha/Miscellaneous/csa/MACSA_Directory.pdf.
Growing concern about antipsychotic weight gain
Antipsychotic medications (such as risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine and olanzapine) often are prescribed to treat mood and psychotic disorders. Many children and teenagers who benefit from antipsychotic medication treatment unfortunately also experience side effects. A concerning side effect in growing children is unhealthy weight gain. Obesity can increase the risk of a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes, and can have a negative impact on a child's self esteem. Weight gain is a known side effect of antipsychotic treatment, but there is a lot we still don't know about this side effect in young children.
The University of Maryland is conducting a study of children ages 7–12 years old who have been identified by their provider as needing their first treatment with an antipsychotic medication for a bipolar mood disorder. Children will be treated with either risperidone or aripiprazole for six months and will receive free, state-of-the-art monitoring for obesity-related side effects. A focus of this study is to understand how young children respond to their first treatment with an antipsychotic medication. This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Families who are interested in learning more information about this study can contact Dr. Gloria Reeves at greeves@psych.umaryland.edu or by calling the CHAMPS research program at 410-328-9087.
Legislative Wrap-up
The Maryland General Assembly focused much of its efforts this legislative session on balancing the budget, and in so doing, lawmakers made some funding cuts that will impact mental health services for children. Most significant of these was the $3.5 million cut from the rehabilitation option in the Children's Interagency Fund. These dollars are used to provide community-based services for youth with intensive mental health needs, particularly those at risk for out-of-home placement.
On the positive side, the legislature voted to expand coverage in the Maryland Primary Adult Care program to include substance abuse treatment. It also voted to extend Medicaid coverage until age 21 to youth who are in foster care at age 18 (subject to certain conditions).
The legislature passed H.B. 660, which requires that a student may not be suspended or expelled from school solely for attendance-related offenses. The Coalition supported this bill, knowing that many attendance problems are the result of serious depression or anxiety in a child.
In other legislative news, the Coalition strongly advocated for the Student Stigma Act, H.B. 1558, sponsored by Del. Ted Sophocleus (D-Anne Arundel), which would have changed the special education disability label from "emotionally disturbed" to "emotionally or behaviorally disabled."
The measure was amended in the House to read, "emotionally disabled"; the amended bill passed the House on March 30 but failed in the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. It was a follow-up to the survey of parents, educators, students and providers conducted last year by the Maryland Steering Committee for Students with Emotional Disturbance in Educational Settings, a collaboration of the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health, the Maryland State Department of Education and the Mental Hygiene Administration. The term "emotionally or behaviorally disabled" was the top choice in the survey. The Coalition will re-address this issue in the 2010 legislative session.
Publications Cover Women's Mental Health Issues
Two publications are available from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) covering women's mental health issues.
The first, "Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health," brings together research, resources, products and tools on mental health issues and looks at gender issues in diagnosing, treating and coping with mental illness. Click here to view the report online.
The second, "Women's Mental Health: What It Means to You," is a consumer-oriented booklet that addresses stigma issues and includes information on the signs and symptoms of mental illness. It also provides suggestions for finding support and solutions for preventing and coping with mental illness. Click here for a link to download a copy of the booklet.
New Website for Montgomery Federation
The Montgomery County Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health has a new online presence.
Visit www.mcfof.org for information and resources for families and caregivers of children with mental health needs in Montgomery County.
Respite Care for Navy Families
Navy families stationed in the greater Washington , D.C., area who are raising a child with special needs may be eligible for 40 hours of free respite services monthly.
Easter Seals, in partnership with the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) and the U.S. Navy, will provide services through in-home providers, licensed day care/family child care centers and specialized treatment centers for Category IV and V Exceptional Family Members (EFM).
An EFM is an authorized DEERS-eligible family member who possesses a physical, emotional, developmental or educational disability, or condition requiring special medical, mental health or educational services. Category IV and V refer to an EFM whose condition requires assignment near major medical facilities within the continental United States, or whose needs are complex and specialized, requiring continuity of care.
Eligible families are enrolled in the Navy's EFM Program and their child with special needs is younger than age 18 and is classified as category IV or V.
For more information on this benefit, visit www.naccrra.org/MilitaryPrograms/NavyEFMP or call 1.800.424.2246. You can learn more about the Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program to assist families in managing the dual demands of a Navy career and the special needs of their child by visiting www.npc.navy.mil/CommandSupport/ExceptionalFamilyMember/.
Upcoming Events
Planning for the Future for Your Relative with Mental Illness—June 17, 7–9 p.m. Workshop sponsored by PLAN of MD-DC and NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore. For more information, call 410.435.2600 or visit www.nami.org/sites/namimetrobaltimore.
Montgomery County Federation of Families Summer Fest Barbeque—June 21, 2–6 p.m. Food, miniature golf, games and admission to the water park. Bohrer Park, 510 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. RSVP required; call Tami Houts, 301.648.4995.
QPR Certified Gatekeeper Instructor's Course in Suicide Prevention—June 29, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. $395, eight CEUs through the National Board of Certified Counselors. Prepayment and registration deadline: June 15. Hat Room, Turk Building , Spring Grove Hospital Center, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville . This course trains instructors to teach QPR for Suicide Prevention to their community. For more information, contact Kathy White at 509.536.5100 or 888.726.7926.
