[Imc-radio] Compulsory mental health screening of pregnant women (fwd)

[Danielle Chynoweth]

I e-mailed CCHCC about this.  If we can find some contacts, we should do a 
story on it for FSRN, which sent us the lead.  Anyone interested in 
following up on this?  I can help.

- Danielle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 10:42:01 -0500 (CDT)
From: Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>
To: Claudia Lennhoff <claudia at shout.net>, Brooke Anderson <brooke at shout.net>
Subject: Compulsory mental health screening of pregnant women

Do you all know about this?  Was there a forum on Monday?  IMC might do a 
story about it if we can drum up some contacts.

thanks!
Danielle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 10:51:00 -0400
From: fsrn-headlines at wbai.org
To: Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>, fsrn-features at wbai.org
Subject: Story worth looking at

IL launches compulsory mental health screening for children and pregnant women

http://illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=17748
Monday, July 19, 2004

By The Leader-Chicago Bureau
CHICAGO -- This week, a series of public forums on a program requiring all
pregnant women and children through age 18 years to be tested for mental health
needs is being held this week in five different locations statewide.


One group of parents learned about the state's plans to proceed with this
program and on Monday issued an alarm asking for parents and citizens concerned
about the new program to voice their opinions at the forums.


"We're moving toward social training over academic training with this program,"
Larry Trainor, a Mt. Prospect parent of four children and a contact for
Citizens Commission on Human Rights, based in Los Angeles, said today.


"Since psychiatric involvement in education, SAT scores have gone down for the
past few decades. Evaluating mental conditions is not based on scientific
evidence, it's subjective," he said.


The $10 million plan for the setup of the Children's Mental Health Act of 2003
is being considered at this week's public forums starting Monday, July 18 in
Champaign.


Signed into law, the bill passed the Illinois General Assembly last spring,
sponsored in the House by State Representatives Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) and
Patricia Bellock (R-Westmont). State Senator Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) and
Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) shepherded the legislation through the Senate.


The legislation passed the House with a 107 to 5 vote, and the Senate
unanimously.


"What if they find a student has a math disorder, a reading disorder. Would that
be a mental health disorder, one that would cause the parents to put their
children with a drug for a condition they may or may not have?" Trainor asked.


The mental health program will develop a mental health system for "all children
ages 0-18 years," provide for screening to "ensure appropriate and culturally
relevant assessment of young children's social and emotional development with
the use of standardized tools."


Also, all pregnant women will be screened for depression and thereafter
following her baby's birth, up to one year. Follow-up treatment services will
also be provided.


Trainor said that he is trying to get parents and citizens out to voice their
opinion about the new program.


Apparently, children's mental health will be assessed along with their academic
standards in the new proposed testing. The Illinois State Board of Education
has been given the responsibility to develop the appropriate tests, according
to last year's legislation.


The Task Force hosting the public forums this week are to send a recommendation
to Governor Blagojevich by the end of the summer, according to the Act (HB
2900).

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