Fwd: Huge Mental Health Victory for MN Families

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" Issues and Action in Education "

July 18, 2005

 

" Issues and Action in Education " is an e-letter produced by EdWatch, a nonprofit

organization.

 

 

Huge Mental Health Victory for MN Families

MN parents & children protected from mental health coercion & universal

screening

 

 

In two enormous setbacks for the mental health establishment (the

pharmaceutical industry, professional organizations, and mental health front

groups), universal mental health screening “at least once by age 3” was defeated

as part of mandatory kindergarten screening in the 2005 Minnesota legislative

session. In addition, thanks to the incredible work of House Republican

negotiators and the informed, persistent work of EdWatch, Minnesota becomes the

first state in the nation to prohibit schools from coercing parents to either

medicate their children with psychotropic drugs OR submit them to mental health

screening.

 

[Note: The EdWatch update of July 5th that reprinted the article " New law can't

force meds on kids " referenced changes to a federal law (IDEA) that applies only

to special ed students.]

 

No Mental Health Screening for Toddlers

The Minnesota Senate Democrats, acknowledging and supporting the New

Freedom Commission’s recommendation for universal mental screening, did their

best to require mental health screening for children as young as three years for

kindergarten entrance. The legislation wanted to screen children’s

“socioemotional development” to the long list of mandated screening items, not

just by kindergarten entrance at age 5, but moving the age down to “at least

once by age three,” which could conceivably have meant at birth.

 

The definition of “socioemotional development” was also incredibly

vague. It said:

" For purposes of this section, socioemotional screening means assessing a

child's ability, in the context of family, community, and cultural expectations,

to (1) experience, control, and express emotions; (2) form close and secure

interpersonal relationships; and (3) explore and experience surroundings and

learn from them. " It is impossible to accurately or fairly assess any of

these criteria, especially in very young children. The Surgeon General Report on

Mental Health. (1999. p. 1-5) confirms this when it says, “In other words, what

it means to be mentally healthy is subject to many different interpretations

that are rooted in value judgments that may vary across cultures.”

 

If this legislation had passed, it would have opened the door to

incredible government intrusion into the lives of families by producing massive

data collection of very personal and private information. It would have also

screened these young children and their families based on political and

religious values, attitudes and beliefs in the “context of family, community,

and cultural expectations.”

 

Minnesota would have followed in the steps of Illinois. As of June 30th,

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has on his desk the state’s final plan to

“increase early intervention and mental health treatment services and supports

for children: Ages 0-5 years…” Thanks to the efforts in Minnesota of dedicated

legislators, and thanks to the phone calls, visits and emails of many, many

constituents, Minnesota did not descend down that path.

 

Groundbreaking Protection of Parents and Children Against Coercion

In 2001, Minnesota was the second state in the nation to pass a

prohibition against school-led coercion of parents to drug their children with

sympathomimetics, meaning stimulant medication like Ritalin and Adderall. That

legislation stated that a parent could not be charged with educational neglect

for refusing these drugs. It was authored by Representatives Barb Sykora and

Sondra Erickson, among others, in the House, and by Senators Tom Neuville and

Michele Bachmann, among others, in the Senate.

 

Since passage of that prohibition in 2001, continued incidents of

coercion around the nation using other types of charges and other types of

drugs, such as antidepressants, have come to light. The FDA has since then

issued warnings on the ineffectiveness and dangers of psychotropic medications.

In addition, mental health screening rapidly rose to prominence following the

release of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which recommends

universal screening “across the life span.” All of these developments clearly

demonstrated that this very good and important 2001 legislation needed

expansion.

 

Rep. Jim Abler introduced an amendment to this year’s education bill

with encouragement from EdWatch. He also had strong support from other members

in during both the committee hearing and conference committee negotiations. That

amendment stated:

" Consistent with section 125A.091, subdivision 5, a readmission plan must not

obligate a parent or guardian to provide psychotropic drugs to their student as

a condition of readmission. School officials must not use the refusal of a

parent or guardian to consent to the administration of psychotropic drugs to

their student or to consent to a psychiatric evaluation, screening or

examination of the student as a ground, by itself, to prohibit the student from

attending class or participating in a school-related activity, or as a basis of

a charge of child abuse, child neglect or medical or educational neglect. "

Changing to the word “psychotropic” covers all psychiatric medications, not just

stimulant drugs. This and a complete prohibition of coercion of parents with

charges of abuse or neglect or exclusion from school or activity makes the

Minnesota law the strongest and best mental health anti-coercion law enacted in

the entire nation. To our knowledge, Minnesota is also

the only state in the nation that protects children and parents from mental

health screening coercion. Sadly, Republican governors Jon Huntsman and Jeb Bush

vetoed excellent bills with similar language that passed the Utah and Florida

state legislatures, respectively. These governors gave away family rights to

privacy and freedom of thought and gave in to the powerful pharmaceutical lobby

and the rest of the mental health establishment.

 

Thank You!! Please Help Us Continue the Fight!!

Thank you so much for your support for EdWatch. Without your dedication

and your financial support, these great victories will not be possible. However,

these are hard fought battles that require great sacrifice of time, effort and

resources. The battles to protect children and families from coercive mental

health screening and drugging are raging in many other states and in Congress.

The expert advice and testimony that EdWatch is working to provide on these and

many other issues cannot continue without your continued financial support.

Won’t you please help us continue these crucial battles for freedom?

 

To contribute to the work of EdWatch, you may contact us on-line, call

us at 952-361-4931, or send a check in the mail to:

EdWatch

105 Peavey Road, Suite 116

Chaska, MN 55318

 

 

 

 

Federal legislation, HR181

Many other states are facing the same battle over mental health coercion

and universal screening as Minnesota faced this year, and Minnesota will face

these issues repeatedly in future legislative sessions. For that reason, Texas

Congressman Ron Paul has gained the support of 44 co-sponsors for a bill (HR

181) that forbids federal funds from being used for any mental health screening

of children without the consent of parents. Eight of the co-sponsors signed on

in June.

 

 

 

ORDER TODAY!

Universal Mental Health Screening Packet (Click Here)

 

This packet provides the informed citizen with hardcopies of nine (10)

informative articles on the push for universal mental health screening, by five

nationally recognized authors. This packet also includes a CD which has copies

of all the articles plus a PowerPoint presentation and a radio interview by Dr.

Karen Effrem.

 

 

EdWatch

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Chaska, MN 55318

952-361-4931

 

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