Send us your stories! In this difficult economic climate, the Coalition often is called upon to testify or respond to questions about the impact of budget cuts. If you have lost mental health or educational services you have had for your child or if you have been told funding is not available at this time, please tell us what jurisdiction you live in and what services your child and family lost. We will bring your stories to legislators. Better yet, come to our Day in Annapolis on Jan. 20 and tell your legislator in person the impact of budget cuts on your child and family. Other advocacy and consumer organizations will be meeting in Annapolis on the 20th and there will be a big rally for mental health at noon, so we hope to make mental health the headline of the day. Read the article below to learn more about upcoming legislative issues and to learn details about the Day in Annapolis. Hope to see you then!
- Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
Legislative Challenges in a Fiscal Crunch
The Maryland General Assembly convened Jan. 13 for what is expected to be an especially challenging session, given the state of the economy for individual Marylanders and the state and its jurisdictions—and given that it is an election year in Maryland.
The Student Stigma Act, H.B. 11, was introduced by Del. Ted Sophocleus (D-Anne Arundel), who was joined by 10 co-sponsors. This legislative measure seeks to change educational references to emotional disturbance to read instead emotional disability. This is an update to legislation considered in the last session that did not pass.
Other key legislative measures to keep an eye on are any attempts to further cut budgets for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and related agencies, as well as the nicknamed "Dime a Drink" tax, which would add 10 cents to the price of an alcoholic beverage, with the additional revenue earmarked for two purposes: five cents to expand health care programs, especially coverage for those currently without insurance coverage; and five cents to be divided among mental health, substance abuse and Developmental Disability Administration programs, to maintain and expand funding levels for current mental health, substance abuse and DDA programs.
Children's Mental Health Day in Annapolis is Jan. 20!
Families, legislators, and providers for children's mental health will gather for the annual Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health briefing and legislative visits on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
The day kicks off with a legislative breakfast and briefing beginning at 8:45 a.m. in Room 1 West of the Miller Senate Office Building and visits with legislators afterward.
The Maryland Mental Health Coalition has organized a rally on Lawyer's Mall at 12 noon, so family members can join members of our partner mental health organizations to show Gov. O'Malley and members of the General Assembly our support of mental health services in Maryland .
It's not too late to register. Print out a flyer and registration form here: http://www.mdcoalition.org/whatsnew.htm.
IMPACT Research Study of Weight Gain and Antipsychotic Medication in Kids
Children and teenagers who are treated with antipsychotic medication can sometimes experience a lot of unhealthy weight gain. Although many children benefit from antipsychotic treatment, weight gain can affect self esteem and put kids at risk for other health problems.
The IMPACT research study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is recruiting kids who are:
- 8 – 18 years old
- currently being treated with an antipsychotic medication; and
- Who are improving with antipsychotic medication treatment, but have experienced unhealthy weight gain.
The IMPACT study is investigating if medication changes can help curb or reduce weight gain from antipsychotic medication. All children enrolled in this study will receive healthy lifestyle education and free, state-of-the-art health assessment /monitoring for obesity-related health problems. All youth will receive free outpatient psychiatric treatment for six months and study medication will be provided at no cost.
For more information about this study please contact the CHAMPS research office (410-328-9087) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine/Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study team includes: Dr. Gloria Reeves, M.D., Kristin Bussell, CRNP and Patricia Harris, CRNP.
More Studies About Weight Gain with Psychiatric Drugs
It's a known possible side effect and one that parents of children on certain psychiatric drugs can attest to firsthand -- the alarming, explosive weight gain once the medication has been started.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association of 205 New York City-area children suggests that children may be more at risk for weight gain than adults taking the same anti-psychotic meds, prescribed generally for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but increasingly used for autism, attention deficit disorders and other issues as well.
And the reasons for concern are not just cosmetic. The study linked the weight gain to increases in cholesterol, which may increase children's chances to develop heart disease and other health problems in adulthood. Separate studies have found a link between these medications and a marked increase in blood sugar levels.
Researchers did note that between 10 percent and 35 percent of children studied gained so much weight they were considered obese—and the weight gain came in as little as six to 10 weeks of starting the medication.
The drugs studied—Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa—also have profoundly positive effects on reducing severe psychiatric symptoms, leading one researcher to say “we're a little bit between a rock and a hard place.” Estimates have ranged as high as 2 million children nationwide currently using these medications.
The study suggests other drugs be tried first if possible, but if this class of medications is prescribed, children should closely be monitored for weight gain and other side effects. As always, the best choice of medication for your child's particular circumstances is up to parents and medical personnel.
The study was published in October 2009.
Help Requested to Update Medication Guide
The American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are planning to update the Parents Med Guide, The Use of Medication in Treating Child and Adolescent Depression: Information for Patients and Families , which was developed in the mid-2000s after FDA hearings and action regarding the black box warning. The update will include the most recent research findings.
The groups are seeking input, feedback and suggestions on the guide from parents who have a child living with a mental illness. Specifically, they would like to know what questions or issues parents feel need to be added to the current guide, which can be accessed at: http://www.psych.org/Share/Parents-Med-Guide/Medication-Guides/ParentsMedGuide-Depression-English.aspx .
Please send any input, feedback and suggestions on the guide to Dana Markey, NAMI's Child and Adolescent Action Center program coordinator, at danac@nami.org.
Gaining a Ticket to Work
Ticket to Work is a federal employment program created in 1999 by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act and is administered by the Social Security Administration. It is a voluntary program that offers beneficiaries ages 18 through 64 who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on disability, expanded opportunities to obtain the services and supports they need to work and to achieve their employment goals.
SSA does this by paying providers of services, referred to as “Employment Networks” or “ENs,” for assisting beneficiaries to reach designated outcomes or milestones on the road to achieving self-supporting employment.
The ultimate goal of this program is to reduce reliance on Social Security disability benefits and to promote increased self-sufficiency for beneficiaries with disabilities through work.
The first Ticket to Work Mental Health Summit was held in November 2009 in New Orleans , bringing together employers, workers, providers and others to discuss the basics of the program and determine how to expand it to help more adults facing mental health challenges to gain employment.
More information on Ticket to Work and the summit may be found by clicking here.
Family Leadership Institute 2010
More than 100 family members have graduated from the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health's Family Leadership Institute (FLI) over the last six years, and have moved on to become confident advocates and community leaders on issues of importance to families caring for a child with mental health issues.
The 2010 FLI opens on Feb. 19, with sessions also planned for two weekends each in March and April, rounding out with graduation May 1. FLI participants' children may be involved in regular or special education, foster care, residential treatment or juvenile justice; the program is designed to provide information and training to enable family members to advocate for all of Maryland 's children and to become strong leaders in building a better system of care across the state.
There are a few spots left in the class of 25. Applications are available at http://www.mdcoalition.org/fli.htm . For more information, e-mail mdfli@mdcoalition.org or call Carol Allenza at 410.730.8267.
Free Cell Phones and Airtime
SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers. You are eligible for SafeLink if you receive services from the Electric Universal Service Program, Food Stamps, MD Energy Assistance, Medical Assistance, Public Assistance to Adults, SSI, Temporary Cash Assistance or the Temporary Disability Assistance Program.
If you are interested or know someone who would be helped by this service, contact www.safelinkwireless.com
This Emotional Life
This Emotional Life, a three-part television series that premiered on public television Jan. 4, 2010, tackles issues around improving social relationships; resolving negative feelings, such as depression and anxiety; and searching for greater happiness.
The television series is part of a two-year, multiplatform public education project supported by SAMHSA and developed in collaboration with Vulcan Productions, NOVA/WGBH, PBS and other organizations. The project aims to create awareness, understanding, and solutions surrounding emotional well-being.
Check your local PBS listings to see when the series will be aired again. You also may visit http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/ to view episodes online and to access blogs about the series and information about emotional life issues.
Upcoming Events
Webinar Wednesday Learning at Lunch Series—Ongoing. Innovations Institute hosts webinar seminars every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, covering such topics as early childhood mental health, trauma and the 1915 waiver. To join a webinar, click here. Enter your name and e-mail address, click “join now” and follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Note: You will need to install the webinar program if you have not already. Please leave 15 minutes to do so before the training.
Mental Health First Aid—Ongoing. Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour training course offered by several mental health organizations across the state designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis—to help the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. To find the dates and locations of classes, visit http://www.mhamd.org/mhfa/findclass.htm .
Special Needs Advocacy Training Institute: Everything an Advocate Needs to Know—Winter 2010 and Spring 2010. The Special Needs Advocacy and Montgomery College Workforce Development and Continuing Education present a four-session course on advocacy for parents, graduate students and professionals and school staff and administrators. Jan. 9 and 30, Feb. 20 and March 6; again on April 17, May 1, May 15 and June 5. Montgomery College Silver Spring/Takoma Park Campus, 7977 Georgia Ave. , Silver Spring , Md. For more information and to register, visit http://specialneedsadvocacyinstitute.com/advocacy-training.html .
Maryland Access to Justice Commission Listening Event—Jan. 19, 2:30–4:30 p.m. Langley Park Community Center , Hyattsville. The commission is seeking opinions and feedback from citizens to help it make and implement recommendations to expand access to the state's civil justice system, including juvenile court. Register online at www.mdcourts.gov/mdatjc, and find directions as well. There is no cost to attend. Registration is required.
Maryland Coalition of Families Day in Annapolis —Jan. 20, 8:45 a.m. More information and a registration form may be found in the article above and at http://www.mdcoalition.org/whatsnew.htm.
Preparing for the Job of Life—Jan. 20, 7–8:30 p.m. Towson University Center for Adults with Autism presents an overview of the center and information about how families can access the center's offerings. Kennedy Krieger Institute Greenspring Campus, 3825 Greenspring Ave., Bowles Building boardroom. RSVP to 1.800.390.3372 or resourcefinder@kennedykrieger.org.
