Spotlight on Health Care 

A new brochure from the Children's Medical Services Network, "When You're 18-A Health Care Transition Guide for Young Adults," provides information to help transition-age youth and young adults understand what it means to be legally in charge of their health care and how to stay healthy as they get older.

Included in the information are a series of quizzes touching on being an adult with special needs, life as an adult, talking with doctors and Internet resources on college and work.

The health care reform legislation currently being implemented on a rolling basis brings its own set of questions and need for information for families raising children with special needs. The federal government has set up a website to deal with one facet of the reform legislation covering insurance for those with pre-existing conditions who may have found it impossible or cost-prohibitive to have health care coverage previously.

Visit PCIP.gov to find out everything you need to know regarding the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, including eligibility, rates and information on applying for the plan.

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NIMH Research Study for Early Treatment of Schizophrenia

Teens and young adults who develop schizophrenia may experience problems with hearing voices, paranoid or unusual thoughts, disorganized speech and behavior, as well as a significant decline in performance at school or work. Comprehensive, early intervention for this type of mental illness is important because it may be when problems are most responsive to treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is funding the RAISE Connection Program* to evaluate the best early interventions and treatments for individuals experiencing early psychosis.

The RAISE Connection program is a research study that is evaluating early treatment interventions for adolescents and young adults who have experienced the onset of psychosis within the last two years. This study is being conducted in New York and Maryland. In Maryland, the study is being conducted at the Carruthers Clinic of the University of Maryland Community Psychiatry Program in Baltimore. The treatment assists the teen and family in obtaining needed services and emphasizes joint decision making between consumers and providers. The study will closely monitor how each adolescent or young adult is functioning socially and academically. Services are provided for up to two years. From this study, we hope to learn how treatments delivered in the earliest phases of illness can prevent disability among individuals with psychosis.

Your teenage or young adult family member may be eligible for the study if they are at least 15 years old and have had the onset of psychosis within two years. Information about the RAISE Connection program is available at www.connectionprogram.org, 888.864.5458 or connection@psych.umaryland.edu.

*The Connection Program has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the NIMH/NIH/HHS under Contract No. HHSN-271-2009-00020C.

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We look forward to gathering again at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City to have some lunch, celebrate our connections to each other, and to the Coalition-and of course be entertained by a charming book and reader.

Our Annual Luncheon will be held on Friday, Dec. 9. Please save the date on your calendar now and stay tuned for details to come.

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A series of centers across the country designed to help parents find their way in the special education system are getting a lift from the federal government.

A total of 19 parent training and information centers located in 13 states and Puerto Rico-including the Parents' Place of Maryland-each will get a portion of more than $5 million worth of new funding, the U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 12.

With the new grants, there now are 91 federally funded centers tasked with helping parents of children with disabilities, including at least one in each state, officials said.

"Parent centers help families better understand their child's disability and can often connect them to important local, state and national resources," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "These centers will play a vital role in empowering parents and families to learn about appropriate early interventions and special education services."

The Parents' Place of Maryland, located in Glen Burnie, serves families throughout the state. For more information, e-mail info@ppmd.org or call 410.768.9100. Other centers receiving the additional funds are located in Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Puerto Rico, Vermont and Wisconsin.

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Families who have at least one child who qualifies for the free school lunch program may be eligible for inexpensive home Internet service through Comcast Internet Essentials. To qualify for $9.95-a-month Internet service and a low-cost computer, a household must meet all these criteria:

• Be located in an area in which Comcast offers Internet service;
• Have at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program;
• Have not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;
• Do not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.

We've all encountered those rough patches when it seems all you can do is sit down, put your seat belt on and hold on, steering as you can. And for all families raising adolescents-not just those facing mental health challenges-the teen years can be anything but smooth. Here are 10 tips to help you and your child through these tumultuous times:

1.) Get a map-Connect with the adult systems as soon as you can:

• Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-begin at age 17 and nine months
• Core Service Agency (CSA)

2.) Check your policy-Check your private insurance policy. Recent health care reform laws mean your child should be able to stay on your policy longer than previously-up to age 26.

3.) Explore other roads-Check with the local Department of Social Services to see whether your child is eligible for Medicaid.

4.) Keep the gas tank full-Develop a strategy to manage financial support for your child-bank accounts, SSI checks, etc.

5.) Listen to the GPS (Global Positioning System)-Now is the time to begin conversations with your child to see what he wants for himself or herself.

6.) Let someone else do the driving-Try to facilitate a relationship with another adult who may be able to guide your child...a relative, friend or perhaps a provider.

7.) Get off the road!-Step back and recognize that youth will make mistakes. Sometimes it is the only way to learn.

8.) Be available to step back in when there is a crisis.

9.) Get luxury care for yourself!-Begin to separate and allow your child to become his or her own person.

10.) Keep your cell phone on!-Communicate with your child's providers so you can stay on top of the services, ensure those providing services are qualified and appropriate, and also ensure your child is receiving promised services.

Make sure to take care of yourself, too, while you're helping your child.

Mental Health Findings from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released the results of its 2009 survey on drug use and health. Among many key pieces of information, the survey found:

• In 2009, there were 2 million youths (some 8.1 percent of the population ages 12 to 17) who had a major depressive episode during the previous year-about the same percentage as was found in surveys of the four years previous. Of those youths, 35.7 percent had used illicit drugs in the previous year, compared with an 18 percent usage rate among youths who had not had such an episode.
• In 2009, 2.9 million youths (about 12 percent of the population ages 12 to 17) received treatment or counseling for problems with emotions or behavior in a specialty mental health setting (inpatient or outpatient care). The most common reason youths gave for receiving such services was feeling depressed (46 percent). About the same percent of youths received mental health services in an educational setting, some 2.5 percent (603,000 youths) received services in a general medical setting, and 0.4 percent (109,000 youths) received mental health services in a juvenile justice setting. Some 4.9 percent of youths received services both in a specialty setting and either an educational or general medical setting.

In other findings, the incidence of occurrence of major depressive episode-with or without severe impairment in the activities of daily living-rose with the age of those surveyed, and was more likely to be reported by girls than boys. Slightly more than one-third of youths with major depressive episode in the previous year received treatment, with the majority of this group working with a doctor or medical professional only.

After depression, the reasons youth received mental health services were having problems with home or family (27.8 percent), breaking rules and "acting out" (26.1 percent), and thinking about or attempting suicide (20.7 percent). Nearly 40 percent of those who had thought about or attempted suicide received inpatient services.

Regarding co-occurring disorders, MCF published a report in June 2010 outlining the situation among children and youth in Maryland. This national survey looked at youths ages 12 to 17 to determine their use of, and possible abuse of, various substances, and found those who had experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) were nearly twice as likely to be daily cigarette users and heavy alcohol users compared with their peers who did not report such an episode.

In 2009, youths aged 12 to 17 who had MDE in the past year were more likely to be daily cigarette users in the past month compared with those who did not have MDE in the last year (3.6 vs. 1.9 percent). Similarly, youths who had an MDE in the last year were more likely to be heavy alcohol users in the past month compared with those who did not have past year MDE (4.2 vs. 1.9 percent). Nearly 1 in 5 youths with substance dependence or abuse in the previous year also reported a major depressive episode.

B'moreAbilities Special Arts Center a Resource for Expression
The B'moreAbilities Special Arts Center promotes the performing and visual arts with opportunities for creative expression for those with developmental and/or physical disabilities.

The center offers performance and dance classes for students ages 3 to senior citizens, including a "How We Roll" program for non-ambulatory participants. In addition to the original Dundalk site, classes have been offered in Harford and Howard counties, Timonium, Westminster, at the Baltimore Homeschool Community Center, and at The Arc of Baltimore on Metro Drive.  

Students with a variety of impairments enjoy expressing themselves creatively-and parents and caregivers observe improvements in energy, attitude, attentiveness, strength, flexibility, coordination and social interaction. B'MoreAbilities teachers also can take the show on the road to present a series of classes or a single workshop.  

For more information, visit www.BASAC.org or call 443.769.0507.

Brief For Newsletter of the Maryland Coalition of  Families for Children's Mental Health 

Teens and young adults who develop schizophrenia may experience problems with hearing voices, paranoid or unusual thoughts, disorganized speech and behavior, as well as a significant decline in performance at school or work. Comprehensive, early intervention for this type of mental illness is important because it may be when problems are most responsive to treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is funding the RA1SE Connection Program* to evaluate the best early interventions and treatments for individuals experiencing early psychosis.

The RA1SE Connection program is a research study that is evaluating early treatment interventions for adolescents and young adults who have experienced the onset of psychosis within the last two years. This study is being conducted in New York and Maryland. In Maryland, the study is being conducted at the Carruthers Clinic of the University of Maryland Community Psychiatry Program in Baltimore. The treatment assists the teen and family in obtaining needed services and emphasizes joint decision making between consumers and providers. The study will closely monitor how each adolescent or young adult is functioning socially and academically. Services are provided for up to two years. From this study, we hope to learn how treatments delivered in the earliest phases of illness can prevent disability among individuals with psychosis.

Your teenage or young adult family member may be eligible for the study if they are at least 15 years old and have had the onset of psychosis within two years. Information about the RA1SE Connection program is available at www.connectionprogram.org, 888.864.5458 or connection@psych.umaryland.edu.

*The Connection Program has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the NIMH/NIH/HHS under Contract No. HHSN-271-2009-00020C.   

Upcoming Events 

Leadership Training for Southern Maryland Parents-October. Free training sponsored by the Parents' Place of Maryland for families of children with disabilities, covering such topics as recordkeeping, evaluation and assessments, effective IEPs, dispute resolution, etc. This training requires a commitment for six classes beginning in October; registration deadline is Sept. 29. For more information, contact Missy Alexander at Alexander@md.metrocast.net or 301.884.4662.

23rd Annual Suicide Prevention Conference: Renewing Our Commitment-Oct. 5, 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. State conference features presentations and sessions that target veterans, school programs, cultural issues, the aftermath of suicide, etc. $95 (CEUs are available); registration is required (the conference will close when filled). Please click here for more information and on the conference and here to register. Martin's West, 6817 Dogwood Road, Baltimore.

2011 Howard County Transition Fair--Oct. 5, 6-8 p.m. More than 30 agencies and organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities are invited each year to help families discover what resources are available and meet the people who provide the services to help students transition from school to adulthood. Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia.

Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities-2011 NAMI Maryland Education Conference-Oct. 14-15. Workshops are skill-building sessions tailored for specific audiences, including local NAMI affiliate leaders, consumers and family members, mental health service providers, and individuals working in criminal justice settings. CEUs and certificates of attendance are available. The Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt, 6501 North Charles St., Baltimore. Click here to register; for more information, please contact Karin Kramer at 410.884.8691 or kkramer@namimd.org.

Maryland Transition Conference-Oct. 16-17. Governor's Interagency Transition Council for Youth with Disabilities and the Maryland Rehabilitation Association host a conference to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of professional staff, families, students with disabilities and other community partners to promote the successful transition of youth/young adults with disabilities to post-school outcomes. Ocean City Convention Center. For more information, contact Adele Connolly at aconnolly@dors.state.md.us or Tom Barkley at tbarkley@msde.state.md.us.

1915(i) State Plan HCBS Option, Health Homes and the Intersect of Health Reform and Systems of Care Webinar-Oct. 20, 1-2:30 p.m. The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University presents a webinar discussing how states can use the 1915(i) option to serve children with mental health and substance use disorders and their families. Free; click here for information and to register.

MANSEF Conference-Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Baltimore Convention Center. For more information, contact Lori Phelan at 410.938.4413.

Navigating the Transition Years-Nov. 15 and 22, 6:30-9 p.m. MCF's two-session course for caregivers of transition age youth (ages 14-24) with mental health needs discusses high school transition planning, available services, employment and continuing education, housing and community life, health care, benefits programs, and changing roles and legal rights. Free and open to families across Maryland. Click here for more information and to register, or contact Ann Geddes at ageddes@mdcoalition.org or 410.730.8267.

Addressing Disparities in Behavioral Health: SAMHSA and Office of Minority Health in Action! Webinar-Nov. 17, 1-2:30 p.m. The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University presents a webinar discussing the newly created SAMHSA Office of Behavioral Health Equity as well as the HHS Action Plan to End Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities. Free; click here for information and to register.