2007-05-08 18:00:30 -
WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of national mental health, counseling and education organizations that are committed to increasing access to comprehensive children's mental health services today hosted its second annual Capitol Hill briefing in honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.
The briefing, Children's Mental Health: Key to Achieving Success in Schools and the Community, was held to provide members of Congress and their staff with the latest information and research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) about the issues that affect children
and youth with mental health care needs. The program emphasized the impact of effective school- and community-based mental health services for children and youth, and their families.
"National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day creates an opportunity to raise the profile of children's mental health issues and lower the stigma that prevents so many from seeking help," said Mark Weist, Ph.D., honorary education spokesperson and director of the Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action at the University of Maryland. "Together, we can provide the necessary school-based mental health services for children and youth with serious mental health needs and give them the support they need to thrive in their communities."
Individuals representing the many sides of children's mental health joined Weist as honorary spokespersons at the briefing, sharing their personal experiences and providing their perspectives on the service delivery system.
Howie Mandel, acclaimed comedian and host of NBC's "Deal or No Deal," was the honorary consumer spokesperson at the event and shared his personal experiences managing obsessive-compulsive disorder and mysophobia (fear of germs). For the first time, Mandel discussed his childhood experiences growing up with a mental health need and how the stigma surrounding mental health affected his decision to seek help.
Deborah Marriott Harrison, an advocate for children and youth with mental illnesses and their families, was the honorary family spokesperson at the event. Harrison shared her battle to secure appropriate services for her two sons living with bipolar disorder and addressed changes in the system that would have improved the experience for her and her family. Her son, Scott Harrison, shared details about his experience as a student with bipolar disorder and advocated for changes in the school system to increase the availability of mental health services for students.
Marvin Alexander, a 20-year-old licensed social worker from Arkansas, was the honorary youth spokesperson. Alexander was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder as a child. He discussed the challenges of advocating for himself and navigating the juvenile justice system as a youth. Alexander and the group of honorary spokespeople were joined by event moderator Carl Bell, M.D., professor of psychiatry and public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Gary Blau, Ph.D., branch chief of the Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA.
The Capitol Hill briefing was led by the founding partners, including the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (FFCMH), Mental Health America (MHA), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Co-sponsors included the American Counseling Association, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of School Psychologists and the School Social Work Association of America. National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is an annual event celebrated during the first full week in May, which is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. A SAMHSA initiative, Awareness Day was established as a day on which all SAMHSA-funded children's programs, their partners and their supporters across the country can educate their communities about children's mental health. May is also Mental Health Month.
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has been the nation's leading legal advocate for people with mental disabilities for 30 years. FFCMH is a national family-run organization dedicated exclusively to helping children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life. MHA is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults living with mental illness and their families. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards and to advance sound social policies.
Source: National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
