News from MD Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health

E-newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 9

November 2011 - 2

Greetings!

It's only one word, but it makes a difference!

MCF is about to celebrate our 12th anniversary! Over the summer, our board of directors and staff members met to develop a strategic plan to guide the organization over the next three years. We began by examining who we are as the statewide family voice for children's mental health.

After much deliberation, the board approved changing one word to reflect our evolving identity. We are now the statewide family voice for children's behavioral health. Changing "mental health" to "behavioral health" was done to open the umbrella to families caring for a child with such related conditions as alcohol or drug abuse. Across a range of studies, 54 percent to 95 percent of youth in alcohol and drug treatment have a mental health diagnosis of conduct or oppositional defiant disorder, mood disorder or anxiety disorder.

Similar discussions about integrating mental health and substance abuse administrations are occurring within federal and state levels of government. We'll keep you posted as these discussions unfold. In the meantime, please know MCF's umbrella is open to all families caring for a child with behavioral needs.

-Jane A. Walker

Executive Director

MCF's Annual Luncheon Set for Dec. 9

We look forward to gathering again at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City to have some lunch and celebrate our connections with each other and MCF. This year's luncheon pays special tribute to military families and their children. Our book selection, A Paper Hug, was written by Stephanie Skolmoski and illustrated by her daughter. The book is about a little boy whose father is deployed. We are honored that our guest reader will be Audrey Rothstein, wife of Col. Edward C. Rothstein USA, the garrison commander at Fort Meade.

The Family Partnership Award will be presented to Michelle Zabel, MSS, the director of the Innovations Institute at the University of Maryland, while the Jan Yocum dé Calderón Award will be presented to Osvaldina Gomes Daly, the director of the Caroline County Department of Social Services, and Dale Oberender, the assistant director of the department. Robyn Horsey of Montgomery County All Stars will receive the Youth Award, given to a person younger than age 21 who has provided a voice for youth with mental health needs.

Click here for more information or to register for the luncheon.

MarylandLearningLinks.org

Families and educators interested in early intervention services and special education information and issues now have a user-friendly Internet resource at their fingertips, courtesy of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

MarylandLearningLinks.org is a unique, dynamic website providing information about the Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) processes, family involvement and other topics and trends related to special education. The site features interactive tools, blogs and newsletters aimed at administrators, teachers, service providers and parents.

A key benefit of the website is an online community for users. Parents and educators can join, participate and share in an ongoing conversation designed to strengthen student learning.

MarylandLearningLinks.org is a partnership of the MSDE Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services and the Johns Hopkins University/School of Education/Center for Technology in Education.

New Recommendations on ADHD

The American Academy of Pediatrics has expanded its guidelines for diagnosing and treating children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, which can make it hard for children to focus and follow along in school, on the job and even at home.

AAP recommends now that doctors evaluate all patients ages 4 to 18 who show any symptoms for the condition. Behavior problems, overactivity and hyperactivity, along with trouble paying attention, can show up very early, researchers said, and the condition can persist into adolescence and adulthood. Previous recommendations had targeted a narrower range of ages, 6 through 12.

The pediatricians' group also advises that doctors should look out for learning disabilities, anxiety and other issues that can co-occur with ADHD, with treatment-behavior therapy and medication-tailored to the individual child based on the child's age and severity of symptoms.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 6 percent and 9 percent of children and adolescents have ADHD, with rates increasing as age increases.

Click here to read the complete AAP statement.

12 Things Every JAG and Military Parent Should Know

November is marked as the Month of the Military Family. In that spirit, we share with you a list compiled by Wrightslaw regarding what families with children with special needs-and military officials, too-should know to help them cope with their unique financial, medical and legal issues.

Military parents have legal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400), Section 504, and the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

Children with a disability are legally entitled under IDEA to special education or accommodation as needed to help them progress toward educational goals.
Children younger than age 3 with a suspected disability also are entitled to assistance (but parents should check state law before PCS-ing).
Parents have the right to school records. Parents have the right to review their child's school record under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and IDEA.
Military parents changing public schools should receive "comparable services" at the child's new school. According to IDEA, a child who transfers school districts and has an IEP in effect shall be provided "with a free appropriate public education (FAPE), including services comparable to those described in the previously held IEP."
Parents should know how discipline is applied to children with disabilities. Generally, children with disabilities are subject to the same disciplinary standards as other children.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and military pay-know the rules and how moving can change things for a military family. Junior enlisted parents of a child with a disability can receive financial aid to provide needed support for their child through SSI payments.
DoDEA Schools play by their own rules. Both IDEA and DoDI 1342.12 guarantee a FAPE in the least restrictive environment, but DoDI 1342.12 makes no guarantees that timelines and rules it sets for itself will be followed.
Parents can disagree with and challenge any decision made by the school about their child. Parents do not have to sign the IEP. Further, parents can agree to consent to some services offered by a school district and not to others.
Parents have some powerful tools they can use (with caution) under the law. If parents disagree with a change in services or placement for their child and choose to challenge the decision, they can send the school a written demand for "stay put."
The law will not reimburse parents for experts, but military parents may have an expert. TRICARE/ECHO, a supplement to TRICARE, provides up to $36,000 in funds for additional therapy and services for military children with a disability.
Estate planning is important-and not all military benefits will work for military parents. If the child with a disability will need assistance through programs like SSI and Medicaid into the future, parents should start planning now.
Parents of a child with a disability need to do additional legal preparation before deployment. Military parents of a child with a disability must carefully catalogue the doctors, service providers and others they work with on behalf of their child. These issues, and more, may need the help of a notary or special power of attorney.

Click here to read the complete article by Lt. Col. Elizabeth L. Schuchs-Gopaul, USAF, published in the "The Reporter," Judge Advocate General's Corps, USAF; Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 20.

National Children's Mental Health Report Card

A recent national survey of 1,000 adults with children ages 2-24 sought information concerning parents' awareness of and concerns about psychiatric and learning issues in their children. The Child Mind Institute (CMI) used the information gained from respondents to fashion a snapshot of children who are displaying signs of psychiatric and learning difficulties, how their behaviors differ from children without such difficulties, and the steps parents are taking to get help for their children.

CMI reported these as key findings:

Nearly one in four parents-22 percent-reports being concerned about a child's mental health.
Children identified by their parents as having mental health issues show more than double the rate of problematic and dangerous behaviors-including alcohol and drug abuse, suspension from school and suicide attempts-compared with children in the whole sample.
Most parents-87 percent-who had concerns about their children sought treatment; however, almost half (43 percent) waited more than a year and nearly one-fourth (22 percent) waited more than two years to get help.
The most common treatments were medication (50 percent) and psychotherapy (46 percent). Of those who received medication, 80 percent reported it was effective, while only 50 percent said they found psychotherapy and other treatments effective.
While 97 percent of parents surveyed said mental health is as important as physical health, only 29 percent said their pediatricians asked them regularly about their child's mental health.

You can read the complete survey results here.

Congress to Consider Savings Plan for People with Disabilities

A bill to establish new savings plans modeled on the popular 529 college savings plans has been introduced in Congress.

The ABLE Act of 2011, H.R. 3423, is the successor to a similar plan introduced in the last Congress. Legislators and advocates of that plan said it was not acted upon because Congress ran out of time before adjourning, not for lack of interest or support. They are hopeful that, even in this budget climate, the measure will gain traction.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) would create savings accounts that could be used to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing and other expenses for people with disabilities without jeopardizing government benefits.

The measure would allow up to $100,000 to be deposited into an ABLE account without compromising access to government benefits from Social Security, Medicaid and other programs. Interest earned on funds within the accounts would be tax free.

Currently, there are few options for families to save money for those with disabilities, who often cannot have more than $2,000 to their name without forfeiting many government benefits. One existing option is the special needs trust, which allows families to set money aside for the benefit of a person with a disability under the care of a trustee. ABLE accounts would offer a much-needed alternative that's more flexible and significantly easier to start, advocates say.

Mark Your Calendar for Jan. 24, 2012

You've probably seen them lurking in the stores and resisted purchasing one because you don't want to think that far ahead...but it's not too early to consider your 2012 calendar!

Without pushing you too quickly into the next year, MCF urges you to mark your calendar for our 2012 Day in Annapolis, which will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. That dreaded six-letter word, b-u-d-g-e-t, will be the topic of discussion, as it has been for the past several years. The voices of families and youth are the most powerful tools to influence legislators to protect funding for services for our children. Please join us! Watch the newsletter for more details as we get closer to the date.

Upcoming Events

Navigating the Transition Years-Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-12 noon. MCF's 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. For more information and to register, contact Ann Geddes at
ageddes@mdcoalition.org or 410.730.8267. 2701 N. Charles St., 4th Floor, Baltimore.

Pro Bono Counseling Project Webinar Linking Uninsured, Underinsured and Military Families with Volunteer Counselors-Dec. 7, 12 noon-1 p.m. University of Maryland-sponsored webinar. To join, click here the day of the webinar; enter your name and e-mail address and click "Join Now." Follow the instructions that appear onscreen.

Preparing Young Adults for Independence: Transition and Moving Out-Dec. 7, 7-8:30 p.m. Session for adolescents, young adults and adults with disabilities, parents, educators, medical and community providers touches on the issues surrounding the transition from living with the family to living independently. Topics include timing of the planning process, housing options, affordability and resources to help with the process. Free; to register, e-mail resourcefinder@kennedykrieger.org or call 443.923.2790. Kennedy Krieger Institute, 3825 Greenspring Ave., Bowles Building Boardroom, 4th Floor, Baltimore.

MCF Annual Luncheon-Dec. 9, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m. Annual luncheon of the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health, featuring A Paper Hug and special guest reader in a tribute to military families. Annual awards also will be presented. $45; click here for more information or to register for the luncheon.

Linking Primary Care and Systems of Care: Innovation at the State and Community Levels to Support the Social and Emotional Well-Being of All Children Webinar-Dec. 15, 1-2:30 p.m. The National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University presents a webinar discussing the linkage of medical home, accountable health homes and systems of care as an ongoing process. Several states and communities have focused their system-building efforts on collaboration with primary care, including pediatric practices and public health clinics. This webinar will look at how these new relationships can stimulate innovation and change. Free; click here for information and to register.

Annual Children's Mental Health Day in Annapolis-Jan. 24, 8:30 a.m. Please visit www.mdcoalition.org for more information.

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