IL launches compulsory mental health screening for children and pregnant

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> StopTheInsanity

> Thu, 22 Jul 2004 20:03:59 -0400

> [sSRI-Research] IL launches compulsory

> mental health screening for children and pregnant

>

> http://illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=17748

>

> IL launches compulsory mental health screening for

> children and pregnant

> women

>

> Monday, July 19, 2004

> By The Leader-Chicago Bureau

>

> CHICAGO -- This week, a series of public forums on a

> program requiring all

> pregnant women and children through age 18 years to

> be tested for mental

> health needs is being held this week in five

> different locations statewide.

>

> One group of parents learned about the state's plans

> to proceed with this

> program and on Monday issued an alarm asking for

> parents and citizens

> concerned about the new program to voice their

> opinions at the forums.

>

> " We're moving toward social training over academic

> training with this

> program, " Larry Trainor, a Mt. Prospect parent of

> four children and a

> contact for Citizens Commission on Human Rights,

> based in Los Angeles, said

> today.

>

> " Since psychiatric involvement in education, SAT

> scores have gone down for

> the past few decades. Evaluating mental conditions

> is not based on

> scientific evidence, it's subjective, " he said.

> The $10 million plan for the setup of the Children's

> Mental Health Act of

> 2003 is being considered at this week's public

> forums starting Monday, July

> 18 in Champaign.

>

> Signed into law, the bill passed the Illinois

> General Assembly last spring,

> sponsored in the House by State Representatives

> Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) and

> Patricia Bellock (R-Westmont). State Senator Maggie

> Crotty (D-Oak Forest)

> and Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) shepherded the

> legislation through the

> Senate.

>

> The legislation passed the House with a 107 to 5

> vote, and the Senate

> unanimously.

> " What if they find a student has a math disorder, a

> reading disorder. Would

> that be a mental health disorder, one that would

> cause the parents to put

> their children with a drug for a condition they may

> or may not have? "

> Trainor asked.

>

> The mental health program will develop a mental

> health system for " all

> children ages 0-18 years, " provide for screening to

> " ensure appropriate and

> culturally relevant assessment of young children's

> social and emotional

> development with the use of standardized tools. "

>

> Also, all pregnant women will be screened for

> depression and thereafter

> following her baby's birth, up to one year.

> Follow-up treatment services

> will also be provided.

>

> Trainor said that he is trying to get parents and

> citizens out to voice

> their opinion about the new program.

>

> Apparently, children's mental health will be

> assessed along with their

> academic standards in the new proposed testing. The

> Illinois State Board of

> Education has been given the responsibility to

> develop the appropriate

> tests, according to last year's legislation.

>

> The Task Force hosting the public forums this week

> are to send a

> recommendation to Governor Blagojevich by the end of

> the summer, according

> to the Act (HB 2900).

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]