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How to better serve children in light of the increasing availability of effective treatments for mental health disorders was the subject addressed by consumers, providers, and advocates of mental health care at the Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on May 15.
Participants discussed the state of mental health treatments, coverage, and use of new and better resources in coordinated efforts to meet children's needs.
About 350 consumers, providers, and advocates of mental health care throughout Georgia attended the forum, "Generating Hope Through Shared Responsibility." Rosalynn Carter made opening and closing remarks, and keynote speakers included Peter S. Jensen, M.D., associate director of child and adolescent research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); and Chris Ziegler-Dendy, M.S., a mental health advocate who has worked as a school psychologist and mental health administrator and the mother of two sons with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Jensen spoke of recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with mental illness and pointed to research data showing the effectiveness of medication as well as of behavioral therapies.
"It's an important message-that for many illnesses therapy and medication are effective," said John Gates, Ph.D., director of the Carter Center. "We have better research, and that has led to better care," he said.
Ziegler-Dendy said that as a mental health professional and advocate she sees a need to coordinate welfare, mental health, and education in serving mentally ill children. With better outreach to families, she added, out-of-home treatment could be avoided. In addition, social services should address the needs of parents for support and respite.
According to Gates, participants agreed on the need for better coordination of services provided by different agencies, "particularly for poor children with severe problems." Participants also addressed the need for professionals to maintain up-to-date knowledge about mental health advances. They discussed ways to improve and encourage continuing education. Finally, they addressed the need to involve family members in planning and implementing services for children.
The Carter Center's Mental Health Program was established by former first lady Rosalynn Carter in 1985 in collaboration with Emory University's department of psychiatry. The Mental Health Program holds a yearly symposium on myriad mental health issues. It will issue a report on this year's forum in August. More information is available by contacting the Carter Center at (404) 420-5126.