Worried Illinois Legislators Rethink Mandatory MH Screening

[Guest guest]

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting openness and full disclosure

http://www.ahrp.org

FYI

Illinois state legislators who enacted a bill to screen all children from 0

to 18--are having second thoughts about the ramifications of what they had

signed:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill. There is considerable misunderstanding

about the intent.. [statement by State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a

co-sponsor of the original legislation] The Illinois plan, would have been

the first in the nation to implement the insidious screening plan under the

Presidents' New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health (NFC). NFC recommends screening the entire US population for mental

illness. , a

Pennsylvania whistleblower, has documented the genesis of such state and

federal mental health initiatives.

has traced mental health screening initiatives--including the one in

Illinois--to the pharmaceutical companies that have the most to gain from

such expansive " mental health services " :

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg. "

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped

endorsements of groups like the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership. "

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

Tel: 212-595-8974

e-mail: veracare@...

http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=18658

IL Children's Mental Health Plan gives legislators headache

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

By The Illinois Leader-Springfield Bureau SPRINGFIELD –

Illinois recently gained national and international attention as the first

state to put into law a template for

mental health screening that could become a national model for government

mandated " evidence-based

practices screening " for emotional and social disorders for the state's

children.

But now, some state legislators are expressing concern that those putting

the law into practice are either

over-reaching its original intent, or the language of the law is

problematic.

Last August, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Illinois Children's Health

Act of 2003. It stated in

part:

The State of Illinois shall develop a Children's Mental Health Plan

containing short-term and long-term

recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health

prevention, early intervention, and

treatment services for children from birth through age 18.

The Act stipulated the creation of the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership, which is to submit a preliminary plan of action to the Governor

on September 30. The Partnership reports directly to the

governor.

Last month, the Partnership held a series of public hearings around the

state to unveil its plan. Recommendations included screening all pregnant

women for depression, with in-home visit follow-up.

It is the Partnership's recommendations that began raising red flags.

State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a co-sponsor of the original

legislation, spelled out some concerns

with the plan to IllinoisLeader.com in a prepared statement:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill.

There is considerable misunderstanding about the intent..

I have strong objections to some of the recommendations:

1. I do not agree that all women should be screened for depression during

pregnancy and following the

birth of a child up to one year postpartum. I also do not agree with

extending the Medicaid coverage beyond the 60 days postpartum. There is no

mention of pregnant women in SB 1951 at all.

2. I do not agree that all children birth to age five receive periodic

developmental screens. I also do not

agree with a data reporting state system to track who is screened. This is

a violation of privacy.

3. I do not agree with requiring social-emotional development screens with

all mandated school exams (K,

4th, and 9th) or a major transition time.

4. I do not agree with report cards on children's social-emotional

development, either. "

State Sen. Lauzen (R-Aurora), who along with all 59 members of the

Illinois Senate voted for the

final version of the bill, said today, " If this negative interpretation of

the Act is accurate, it is personally discouraging to me that this bill

could have gone through the hearing process with everybody voting it

forward, and none of the true implications of what this bill was all about

were understood by many of voting on it. "

Lauzen added, " I believe that the last people who should be defining what is

normal and abnormal are

Springfield politicians, including myself! "

Additional concerns about the Children's Mental Health Plan involve

potential drug company involvement.

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg, "

said , a former investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Special Investigations.

is now a federal whistleblower who monitors mental health initiatives

throughout the country.

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key

decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped endorsements of groups like

the Illinois Children's

Mental Health Partnership, " said . The Plan was based upon the report,

" Children's Mental

Health: An Urgent Priority for Illinois " by the Illinois Children's Mental

Health Task Force, a group

sponsored by Ounce of Prevention and funded by The Woods

Foundation, the charitable arm of & and Janssen

Pharmaceutical. The Irving B. Foundation is also credited with

start up contributions.

This new initiative if enacted, would make Illinois the first state to

ratify policies that align systems

of care with President Bush's New Freedom Report. The New Freedom Report

recommends universal mental health screening of all United States citizens,

with an emphasis on school children.

C 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved

______

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which

has not always been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made

available for educational purposes,

to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral,

ethical, and social justice issues,

etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the

US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.

[Guest guest]

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting openness and full disclosure

http://www.ahrp.org

FYI

Illinois state legislators who enacted a bill to screen all children from 0

to 18--are having second thoughts about the ramifications of what they had

signed:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill. There is considerable misunderstanding

about the intent.. [statement by State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a

co-sponsor of the original legislation] The Illinois plan, would have been

the first in the nation to implement the insidious screening plan under the

Presidents' New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health (NFC). NFC recommends screening the entire US population for mental

illness. , a

Pennsylvania whistleblower, has documented the genesis of such state and

federal mental health initiatives.

has traced mental health screening initiatives--including the one in

Illinois--to the pharmaceutical companies that have the most to gain from

such expansive " mental health services " :

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg. "

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped

endorsements of groups like the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership. "

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

Tel: 212-595-8974

e-mail: veracare@...

http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=18658

IL Children's Mental Health Plan gives legislators headache

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

By The Illinois Leader-Springfield Bureau SPRINGFIELD –

Illinois recently gained national and international attention as the first

state to put into law a template for

mental health screening that could become a national model for government

mandated " evidence-based

practices screening " for emotional and social disorders for the state's

children.

But now, some state legislators are expressing concern that those putting

the law into practice are either

over-reaching its original intent, or the language of the law is

problematic.

Last August, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Illinois Children's Health

Act of 2003. It stated in

part:

The State of Illinois shall develop a Children's Mental Health Plan

containing short-term and long-term

recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health

prevention, early intervention, and

treatment services for children from birth through age 18.

The Act stipulated the creation of the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership, which is to submit a preliminary plan of action to the Governor

on September 30. The Partnership reports directly to the

governor.

Last month, the Partnership held a series of public hearings around the

state to unveil its plan. Recommendations included screening all pregnant

women for depression, with in-home visit follow-up.

It is the Partnership's recommendations that began raising red flags.

State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a co-sponsor of the original

legislation, spelled out some concerns

with the plan to IllinoisLeader.com in a prepared statement:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill.

There is considerable misunderstanding about the intent..

I have strong objections to some of the recommendations:

1. I do not agree that all women should be screened for depression during

pregnancy and following the

birth of a child up to one year postpartum. I also do not agree with

extending the Medicaid coverage beyond the 60 days postpartum. There is no

mention of pregnant women in SB 1951 at all.

2. I do not agree that all children birth to age five receive periodic

developmental screens. I also do not

agree with a data reporting state system to track who is screened. This is

a violation of privacy.

3. I do not agree with requiring social-emotional development screens with

all mandated school exams (K,

4th, and 9th) or a major transition time.

4. I do not agree with report cards on children's social-emotional

development, either. "

State Sen. Lauzen (R-Aurora), who along with all 59 members of the

Illinois Senate voted for the

final version of the bill, said today, " If this negative interpretation of

the Act is accurate, it is personally discouraging to me that this bill

could have gone through the hearing process with everybody voting it

forward, and none of the true implications of what this bill was all about

were understood by many of voting on it. "

Lauzen added, " I believe that the last people who should be defining what is

normal and abnormal are

Springfield politicians, including myself! "

Additional concerns about the Children's Mental Health Plan involve

potential drug company involvement.

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg, "

said , a former investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Special Investigations.

is now a federal whistleblower who monitors mental health initiatives

throughout the country.

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key

decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped endorsements of groups like

the Illinois Children's

Mental Health Partnership, " said . The Plan was based upon the report,

" Children's Mental

Health: An Urgent Priority for Illinois " by the Illinois Children's Mental

Health Task Force, a group

sponsored by Ounce of Prevention and funded by The Woods

Foundation, the charitable arm of & and Janssen

Pharmaceutical. The Irving B. Foundation is also credited with

start up contributions.

This new initiative if enacted, would make Illinois the first state to

ratify policies that align systems

of care with President Bush's New Freedom Report. The New Freedom Report

recommends universal mental health screening of all United States citizens,

with an emphasis on school children.

C 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved

______

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which

has not always been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made

available for educational purposes,

to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral,

ethical, and social justice issues,

etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the

US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.

[Guest guest]

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting openness and full disclosure

http://www.ahrp.org

FYI

Illinois state legislators who enacted a bill to screen all children from 0

to 18--are having second thoughts about the ramifications of what they had

signed:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill. There is considerable misunderstanding

about the intent.. [statement by State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a

co-sponsor of the original legislation] The Illinois plan, would have been

the first in the nation to implement the insidious screening plan under the

Presidents' New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health (NFC). NFC recommends screening the entire US population for mental

illness. , a

Pennsylvania whistleblower, has documented the genesis of such state and

federal mental health initiatives.

has traced mental health screening initiatives--including the one in

Illinois--to the pharmaceutical companies that have the most to gain from

such expansive " mental health services " :

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg. "

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped

endorsements of groups like the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership. "

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

Tel: 212-595-8974

e-mail: veracare@...

http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=18658

IL Children's Mental Health Plan gives legislators headache

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

By The Illinois Leader-Springfield Bureau SPRINGFIELD –

Illinois recently gained national and international attention as the first

state to put into law a template for

mental health screening that could become a national model for government

mandated " evidence-based

practices screening " for emotional and social disorders for the state's

children.

But now, some state legislators are expressing concern that those putting

the law into practice are either

over-reaching its original intent, or the language of the law is

problematic.

Last August, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Illinois Children's Health

Act of 2003. It stated in

part:

The State of Illinois shall develop a Children's Mental Health Plan

containing short-term and long-term

recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health

prevention, early intervention, and

treatment services for children from birth through age 18.

The Act stipulated the creation of the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership, which is to submit a preliminary plan of action to the Governor

on September 30. The Partnership reports directly to the

governor.

Last month, the Partnership held a series of public hearings around the

state to unveil its plan. Recommendations included screening all pregnant

women for depression, with in-home visit follow-up.

It is the Partnership's recommendations that began raising red flags.

State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a co-sponsor of the original

legislation, spelled out some concerns

with the plan to IllinoisLeader.com in a prepared statement:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill.

There is considerable misunderstanding about the intent..

I have strong objections to some of the recommendations:

1. I do not agree that all women should be screened for depression during

pregnancy and following the

birth of a child up to one year postpartum. I also do not agree with

extending the Medicaid coverage beyond the 60 days postpartum. There is no

mention of pregnant women in SB 1951 at all.

2. I do not agree that all children birth to age five receive periodic

developmental screens. I also do not

agree with a data reporting state system to track who is screened. This is

a violation of privacy.

3. I do not agree with requiring social-emotional development screens with

all mandated school exams (K,

4th, and 9th) or a major transition time.

4. I do not agree with report cards on children's social-emotional

development, either. "

State Sen. Lauzen (R-Aurora), who along with all 59 members of the

Illinois Senate voted for the

final version of the bill, said today, " If this negative interpretation of

the Act is accurate, it is personally discouraging to me that this bill

could have gone through the hearing process with everybody voting it

forward, and none of the true implications of what this bill was all about

were understood by many of voting on it. "

Lauzen added, " I believe that the last people who should be defining what is

normal and abnormal are

Springfield politicians, including myself! "

Additional concerns about the Children's Mental Health Plan involve

potential drug company involvement.

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg, "

said , a former investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Special Investigations.

is now a federal whistleblower who monitors mental health initiatives

throughout the country.

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key

decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped endorsements of groups like

the Illinois Children's

Mental Health Partnership, " said . The Plan was based upon the report,

" Children's Mental

Health: An Urgent Priority for Illinois " by the Illinois Children's Mental

Health Task Force, a group

sponsored by Ounce of Prevention and funded by The Woods

Foundation, the charitable arm of & and Janssen

Pharmaceutical. The Irving B. Foundation is also credited with

start up contributions.

This new initiative if enacted, would make Illinois the first state to

ratify policies that align systems

of care with President Bush's New Freedom Report. The New Freedom Report

recommends universal mental health screening of all United States citizens,

with an emphasis on school children.

C 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved

______

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which

has not always been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made

available for educational purposes,

to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral,

ethical, and social justice issues,

etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the

US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.

[Guest guest]

ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

Promoting openness and full disclosure

http://www.ahrp.org

FYI

Illinois state legislators who enacted a bill to screen all children from 0

to 18--are having second thoughts about the ramifications of what they had

signed:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill. There is considerable misunderstanding

about the intent.. [statement by State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a

co-sponsor of the original legislation] The Illinois plan, would have been

the first in the nation to implement the insidious screening plan under the

Presidents' New Freedom Commission on Mental

Health (NFC). NFC recommends screening the entire US population for mental

illness. , a

Pennsylvania whistleblower, has documented the genesis of such state and

federal mental health initiatives.

has traced mental health screening initiatives--including the one in

Illinois--to the pharmaceutical companies that have the most to gain from

such expansive " mental health services " :

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg. "

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped

endorsements of groups like the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership. "

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

Tel: 212-595-8974

e-mail: veracare@...

http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=18658

IL Children's Mental Health Plan gives legislators headache

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

By The Illinois Leader-Springfield Bureau SPRINGFIELD –

Illinois recently gained national and international attention as the first

state to put into law a template for

mental health screening that could become a national model for government

mandated " evidence-based

practices screening " for emotional and social disorders for the state's

children.

But now, some state legislators are expressing concern that those putting

the law into practice are either

over-reaching its original intent, or the language of the law is

problematic.

Last August, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Illinois Children's Health

Act of 2003. It stated in

part:

The State of Illinois shall develop a Children's Mental Health Plan

containing short-term and long-term

recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health

prevention, early intervention, and

treatment services for children from birth through age 18.

The Act stipulated the creation of the Illinois Children's Mental Health

Partnership, which is to submit a preliminary plan of action to the Governor

on September 30. The Partnership reports directly to the

governor.

Last month, the Partnership held a series of public hearings around the

state to unveil its plan. Recommendations included screening all pregnant

women for depression, with in-home visit follow-up.

It is the Partnership's recommendations that began raising red flags.

State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Wheaton), a co-sponsor of the original

legislation, spelled out some concerns

with the plan to IllinoisLeader.com in a prepared statement:

" After reviewing the Children's Mental Health Task Force recommendations

from the preliminary report, I

have serious reservations about some of the ways the partnership is

translating the intent of the bill.

There is considerable misunderstanding about the intent..

I have strong objections to some of the recommendations:

1. I do not agree that all women should be screened for depression during

pregnancy and following the

birth of a child up to one year postpartum. I also do not agree with

extending the Medicaid coverage beyond the 60 days postpartum. There is no

mention of pregnant women in SB 1951 at all.

2. I do not agree that all children birth to age five receive periodic

developmental screens. I also do not

agree with a data reporting state system to track who is screened. This is

a violation of privacy.

3. I do not agree with requiring social-emotional development screens with

all mandated school exams (K,

4th, and 9th) or a major transition time.

4. I do not agree with report cards on children's social-emotional

development, either. "

State Sen. Lauzen (R-Aurora), who along with all 59 members of the

Illinois Senate voted for the

final version of the bill, said today, " If this negative interpretation of

the Act is accurate, it is personally discouraging to me that this bill

could have gone through the hearing process with everybody voting it

forward, and none of the true implications of what this bill was all about

were understood by many of voting on it. "

Lauzen added, " I believe that the last people who should be defining what is

normal and abnormal are

Springfield politicians, including myself! "

Additional concerns about the Children's Mental Health Plan involve

potential drug company involvement.

" The Children's Mental Health Act 2003 is the tip of an insidious iceberg, "

said , a former investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Special Investigations.

is now a federal whistleblower who monitors mental health initiatives

throughout the country.

" The pharmaceutical industry is gaining back door access to all of our

children by compromising key

decision makers and by gaining rubber stamped endorsements of groups like

the Illinois Children's

Mental Health Partnership, " said . The Plan was based upon the report,

" Children's Mental

Health: An Urgent Priority for Illinois " by the Illinois Children's Mental

Health Task Force, a group

sponsored by Ounce of Prevention and funded by The Woods

Foundation, the charitable arm of & and Janssen

Pharmaceutical. The Irving B. Foundation is also credited with

start up contributions.

This new initiative if enacted, would make Illinois the first state to

ratify policies that align systems

of care with President Bush's New Freedom Report. The New Freedom Report

recommends universal mental health screening of all United States citizens,

with an emphasis on school children.

C 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved

______

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which

has not always been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made

available for educational purposes,

to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral,

ethical, and social justice issues,

etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such

copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the

US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.