Words of Wisdom on TeenScreen?

[Guest guest]

The South Bend Tribune (Indiana) ran an anonymous editorial today: " Our Opinion "

This is the local newspaper where Rhoades' daughter was screened without

's consent and therefore filed a federal lawsuit against the

school and the psychiatric facility named the Madison Center. (more info below

on Madison).

This newspaper is promoting mental health screening of children.

What are you going to do about it? Write a letter to the editor, I hope!

http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/thisday/opinion.20051109-sbt-MICH-B4-Men\

tal_health_screen.sto

South Bend Tribune

Mental health screening could save kids' lives

OUR OPINION

Mental health screenings, such as the TeenScreen program in place at Penn High

School and South Bend's four public high schools, should be conducted annually.

Schools cannot responsibly draw a line between physical and mental health and

decide to promote one but ignore the other.

We do agree that parents ought to be notified when schools will be conducting

mental health screening of students, and they should have the option of

disallowing a child's participation.

It also is important that mental health screening programs be effective,

accurate and professionally conducted. Schools have a duty to make certain that

they contract with screening services of the highest caliber.

Properly conducted mental health screening does not label or stigmatize

children. It does help to identify emotional problems that are more serious than

those kids typically face in the course of growing up. To do so can be a matter

of life and death.

The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey released in October by the Indiana

Department of Health indicated that 9.3 percent of high school students had

attempted suicide at least once in the previous 12 months. That is nearly one

child in 10 -- a shocking number indeed, and one that is up from 6.6 percent the

previous year.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey included more than 1,500 Indiana high school

students who were chosen at random. The survey was part of a nationwide study

conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Much of the opposition to TeenScreen seems to have been stirred up by outside

interests that have an aversion to mental health screening. We don't know why

they feel compelled to insert themselves into a local issue, but we do know

this: The health survey results are frightening, and the TeenScreen program has

the potential to save young lives by getting help for troubled children who

otherwise might not seek it. Mental health screening must be conducted

responsibly, but it is a valuable health service that has a place in public

schools.

+++++++

South Bend Tribune (Indiana)

September 8, 2005

HEADLINE: 500 youths treated daily;

Madison Center breaks ground for second child-treatment facility

By CAROL ELLIOTT; Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- On any given day, 500 children receive treatment at Madison Center

for Children in South Bend.

In other words, an entire elementary school, double the highest daily attendance

for children at the Potawatomi Park Zoo or enough to fill ShowPlace 16's largest

theater about twice over.

Every day.

Even Madison's chief had trouble believing the number.

" They told me we treat 5,000 a year, " said Jack , chief executive officer

of Madison Center. " I told them to check the number again. "

When talks about the number of children and adolescents treated, the

question he most hears is, why?

Why are there so many children here needing mental health help?

" People often ask us what's changed here. Our whole world has changed, "

said.

The pressing need to provide mental health services for children and adolescents

struggling with depression, anxiety, abuse and drug problems has meant another

construction project for Madison Center.

The center broke ground for its second child and adolescent treatment center

Wednesday on North Niles Avenue, across the street from Madison Center for

Children. It will be on the east side of Niles Avenue north of Crescent Avenue.

++++++++

You can write a letter to the editor here: VOP@...

[Guest guest]

The South Bend Tribune (Indiana) ran an anonymous editorial today: " Our Opinion "

This is the local newspaper where Rhoades' daughter was screened without

's consent and therefore filed a federal lawsuit against the

school and the psychiatric facility named the Madison Center. (more info below

on Madison).

This newspaper is promoting mental health screening of children.

What are you going to do about it? Write a letter to the editor, I hope!

http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/thisday/opinion.20051109-sbt-MICH-B4-Men\

tal_health_screen.sto

South Bend Tribune

Mental health screening could save kids' lives

OUR OPINION

Mental health screenings, such as the TeenScreen program in place at Penn High

School and South Bend's four public high schools, should be conducted annually.

Schools cannot responsibly draw a line between physical and mental health and

decide to promote one but ignore the other.

We do agree that parents ought to be notified when schools will be conducting

mental health screening of students, and they should have the option of

disallowing a child's participation.

It also is important that mental health screening programs be effective,

accurate and professionally conducted. Schools have a duty to make certain that

they contract with screening services of the highest caliber.

Properly conducted mental health screening does not label or stigmatize

children. It does help to identify emotional problems that are more serious than

those kids typically face in the course of growing up. To do so can be a matter

of life and death.

The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey released in October by the Indiana

Department of Health indicated that 9.3 percent of high school students had

attempted suicide at least once in the previous 12 months. That is nearly one

child in 10 -- a shocking number indeed, and one that is up from 6.6 percent the

previous year.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey included more than 1,500 Indiana high school

students who were chosen at random. The survey was part of a nationwide study

conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Much of the opposition to TeenScreen seems to have been stirred up by outside

interests that have an aversion to mental health screening. We don't know why

they feel compelled to insert themselves into a local issue, but we do know

this: The health survey results are frightening, and the TeenScreen program has

the potential to save young lives by getting help for troubled children who

otherwise might not seek it. Mental health screening must be conducted

responsibly, but it is a valuable health service that has a place in public

schools.

+++++++

South Bend Tribune (Indiana)

September 8, 2005

HEADLINE: 500 youths treated daily;

Madison Center breaks ground for second child-treatment facility

By CAROL ELLIOTT; Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- On any given day, 500 children receive treatment at Madison Center

for Children in South Bend.

In other words, an entire elementary school, double the highest daily attendance

for children at the Potawatomi Park Zoo or enough to fill ShowPlace 16's largest

theater about twice over.

Every day.

Even Madison's chief had trouble believing the number.

" They told me we treat 5,000 a year, " said Jack , chief executive officer

of Madison Center. " I told them to check the number again. "

When talks about the number of children and adolescents treated, the

question he most hears is, why?

Why are there so many children here needing mental health help?

" People often ask us what's changed here. Our whole world has changed, "

said.

The pressing need to provide mental health services for children and adolescents

struggling with depression, anxiety, abuse and drug problems has meant another

construction project for Madison Center.

The center broke ground for its second child and adolescent treatment center

Wednesday on North Niles Avenue, across the street from Madison Center for

Children. It will be on the east side of Niles Avenue north of Crescent Avenue.

++++++++

You can write a letter to the editor here: VOP@...