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| A Public Health Issue ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wisconsin is one of a handful of states that does not require parity for mental illness in insurance coverage (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, May 31, 2007). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Nationwide Efforts for Parity The need for parity in coverage of mental health treatment is evident. Mental health disorders can be as disabling as physical illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, and up to half of all visits to primary care doctors are due to conditions caused or exacerbated by mental health issues including depression and anxiety, according to reports from SAMHSA and the U.S. Surgeon General. An estimated 1 in 5 people will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives, and mental illness is the second leading cause of disability in America after arthritis, resulting in significant costs to the economy due to lost wages and productivity, according to former U.S. Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, M.D., during a July 2006 keynote presentation at a national conference sponsored by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. Dr. Elders cited data showing that one in 10 children has a serious, diagnosable mental health problem, but less than 1 in 3 get appropriate treatment. ___________________________________________ Information on Mental Health Parity Legislation as of 6/4/07 from Beth Powell of the AMHCA Website links on parity issue: http://www.dearshrink.com/mhparity.htm http://info.insure.com/health/mentalstate.html (info on state parity laws) http://www.wellstone.org/ http://www.mhlg.org/ Evidence-based Resources: Among current research and intervention efforts that identify violence prevention and mental health as national health priorities are Healthy People 2010; the National Education Goals (1997), which call for safe and drug-free schools; and the American Academy of Pediatrics' Health (AAP) Status Goals for 1997-1998, which call for a reduction in domestic, community, media, and entertainment violence, and various evidence-based resources available through the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence. |
| PREVENTION RESOURCES The 6th Year of Mental Health Awareness will be observed from September 11, 2008 to September 10, 2009. American Mental Health Counselor's Association (AMHCA) is collecting signatures in a nationwide petition drive to support a new United States Postage Stamp promoting Mental Health Awareness. Every citizen will benefit from a constant reminder of this invaluable concept. According to AMHCA's past president Gary Gintner, Ph. D., Americans need to recognize the difference between the lack of Mental Health and the process of creating Mental Health Awareness. Cultivating this awareness will help people avoid the consequences of untreated anxiety, untreated depression and physical deterioration. The clearer a person’s thought process is, the more opportunity he or she has to deal with and grow beyond the stressors. This will HELP to PREVENT the occurrence of domestic violence, child abuse and family instability. Go to www.amhca.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- National Crime Victims' Rights: The 2008 NCVRW Resource Guide was developed as a ready-made guide containing materials such as posters, model speeches, press releases, public service announcements, camera-ready artwork, and crime victimization statistical overviews for use when planning for local NCVRW events across the nation, and to help local communities promote awareness of crime victim issues throughout the year. Visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) online at www.ncjrs.gov. For more information about the 2008 NCVRW Resource Guide, visit www.ovc.gov/ncvrw. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month As Mary Beth Buchanan, Acting Director of the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), reminds us, "Domestic violence is not only a personal tragedy, it is a serious crime that negatively afects women, men, children, neighborhoods and communities. We must join together to address the causes of this crime so that each and every home can be a place of peace and safety." OVW has announced a national information campaign on its website Enditnow.gov, a comprehensive online resource for victims of domestic abuse. For further information and additional resources to assist victims of domestic violence, visit http://www.enditnow.gov. |
We live in a world of instant information through easily-accessible media. Violent images, whether absorbed from popular culture (internet, video games, TV, music) or exposed to in one’s neighborhood, can create confusion for children and youth in ways that affect learning and motivation, functioning and behavioral/mental health, according to various research studies. The implications suggest a strong need for interventions in childhood to prevent negative and dysfunctional thinking patterns and inappropriate coping skills from becoming ingrained in young people. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sobering Statistics In the United States, thousands of lives are lost each year, and billions of dollars in medical care and direct and indirect losses are attributed to violence, according to data compiled for the national ERIC Digest, which is funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. Whether it involves child abuse or other domestic conflict, assaults, gang aggression, gunshots that result in death, disability or injury, aggression and crime affects individuals, families and communities in multiple ways. (Report by Marilyn S. Massey for the ERIC Digest, which focuses on research and resources for reducing and preventing violence). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Influence of Media and Culture Various experts interviewed for a recent (2006) A&E TV documentary titled “Copycat Crimes,” acknowledge that popular culture and media can negatively influence the thinking and behavior of many. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), in a publication titled, “Media Violence & Children: A Guide for Parents (1998)” cited the following relevant problems: 1) Children are more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others when they see violence as a normal and acceptable means of resolving conflict; 2) Viewing violence stimulates children to view other people as “enemies,” and children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, as well as show less remorse about their own aggressive behavior; 3) Children may become more fearful of the world around them, and exposure to media violence may compound some children’s natural anxieties; 4) Violent programming presents limited models of language development when the development of language is critically important; 5) Media that regularly depict violence promote toys that encourage children to imitate the actual behaviors seen on TV or in movies and 6) When children are glued to a screen, they are not interacting actively and positively with the environment or absorbing the foundations they need for learning in school. |
| wish to see in the world.” --Mahatma Gandhi (aka Mohandas Gandhi, 1869--1948, Indian political and spiritual leader) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer 2007 Essay Contest There were no winning essays during the first contest period. Based on this, we intend to use different approaches to the subject matter for future contest announcements. The theme for essays was: "How I am Demonstrating the Change I Want to See in the World." |
