When two or more families get together, several common themes surface in conversation: first, how difficult it is to locate appropriate services and second, how the quality of services leaves much to be desired. This newsletter highlights two new programs in Maryland designed to address those concerns specifically. We applaud the Mental Hygiene Administration for funding a program called Consumer Quality Teams (CQT) and the Governor's Office for Children for providing funds for navigators to assist families through the maze of services. Read on to learn more about these innovative programs.
From all of the staff at the Coalition, have a happy and safe summer. We will take a break from our newsletter in July and will be back with lots more updates in late August - about the time you are shopping for school supplies.
Enjoy!
—Jane A. Walker
Executive Director
Attention Maryland District 19 Students
Del. Roger Manno of District 19 (Montgomery County) has established a scholarship fund for students with special needs, such as pervasive developmental disorders, autism, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, mental health challenges, developmental delays and the like.
Applicants must be:
- a high school senior;
- currently enrolled in or applying to an undergraduate, graduate, professional or trade school in Maryland (exceptions are made for "unique majors" that are not offered at any Maryland institution); and
- a resident of Legislative District 19 in Montgomery County, which includes portions of Silver Spring and Rockville. Visit http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/ to determine your legislative district.
Visit http://www.rogermanno.com/press/index.cfm?Fuseaction=pressreleases_full&ID=840 for more information and an application.
Applications and all materials must be postmarked by JUNE 30, 2007.
Consumer Quality Team of Maryland
The Consumer Quality Team (CQT) is an innovative and effective way to provide oversight of the public mental health system. CQT hires adult consumers and family members to make unannounced site visits to mental health facilities. Presently, Anne Arundel and Howard counties and Baltimore City are participating in the program.
During the site visit, the CQT is available to meet with program participants to listen to their concerns. The CQT then produces a written report for the program provider identifying the concerns, but keeping the identity of the participants confidential. The CQT also meets regularly with funding agencies, provider associations and the Mental Hygiene Administration to address and resolve the issues.
CQT began making site visits to mental health facilities in January 2007. Within the first few weeks of operation, the Team was able to identify specific areas of dissatisfaction within programs. Providers made immediate changes based on the CQT findings, and participants reported improvement within a month. CQT of Maryland is based on the Consumer Satisfaction Team Inc. (CST) of Philadelphia, which has been improving the quality of mental health services since 1990.
CQT Interviewer Position Available
CQT is seeking qualified candidates for one CQT interviewer position. The position is classified as part-time (21 hours per week), nonexempt, with part-time benefits.
The CQT interviewer will conduct confidential interviews with mental health consumers receiving services from the public mental health system (PMHS) in Maryland. Interviews will take place at program sites across the state of Maryland. CQT interviewers are responsible for meeting with PMHS staff and writing reports.
Essential qualifications to be eligible for this position are:
- You must be a mental health consumer or a family member of a consumer.
- You must possess good interpersonal skills and be comfortable conducting interviews.
For additional information, contact Joanne Creaney Meekins, director, or Kathryn (Katie) Rouse, program manager, by e-mail (jmeekins@cqtmd.org; krouse@cqtmd.org) or phone (410-235-1314) with any questions.
Navigators—Helping You Find Your Way
Have you ever felt so intimidated by the complexity of the system, different eligibility criteria and application processes that you wanted to throw your hands up? Combine the challenges of the system with the challenges and frequent crises of caring for a child with intensive mental health needs and you have the ingredients for a family meltdown.
The Governor's Office for Children wisely recognized the additional stress placed upon a family as they try to juggle caring for a child with intensive needs while finding their way through a maze of services. In response to this, the Governor’s Office for Children funded new positions, appropriately called "navigators."
Navigators may be a trained family member - a so-called family navigator- or a professional, often referred to as a system navigator. In either case, the role of the navigator is to provide one-to-one support, education, advocacy, coaching, information and referral and follow-up.
Each county is developing the navigator program to meet the unique needs of their jurisdiction. Some navigators may be part of county government and some may be contracted to a private organization. For information about the navigator in your area, contact your local management board (LMB). Click on the following website to find the LMB for your county: http://www.goc.state.md.us. Find the link to LMB websites in the right column.
Youth Leadership Weekend Set for July
The Coalition will be holding the third Youth Leadership Weekend July 13-15 at Camp Pecometh on the Eastern Shore, in partnership with the Innovations Institute at the University of Maryland.
The Institute is developing YouthMOVE, a national youth leadership movement for teens and young adults who have experience with the mental health system and who are ready to become a voice for youth in the system.
The Youth Leadership Weekend will be the kickoff for Youth MOVE in Maryland.
Contact the Innovations Institute for more information at 410-706-0961.
Paxil Class-Action Settlement
A recent class-action settlement reached with GlaxoSmithKline, makers of Paxil(r) and PaxilCRTM; may put money back into the pockets of those whose children have taken these medications.
Under the terms of the settlement, anyone who purchased those drugs for their minor child or ward is entitled to recover up to 100 percent of their documented out-of-pocket costs. If documentation is not available, costs still may be able to be recovered up to $100.
To participate in the settlement, parents and guardians much submit a claim form before Aug. 31, 2007. Details are available at www.paxilpediatricsettlement.com; call the claims administrator at 866-494-8404 for more information.
