[YSPNetwork] Oregon Governor seeks integrated solutions for youth mental health care

[Donna NOONAN]

YSPNetworkers,
I'm sending you an email I got from another listserv. Also see this
article at
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070328/LEGISLATURE/703280331/1042/STATE
 
Healthy Kids Learn Better
Mental Health Learning Community
 
Kulongoski seeks integrated solutions for youth mental health care
 
THELMA GUERRERO
Statesman Journal
 
March 27, 2007
 
Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants Oregon children to have better access to
mental health services.
 
To ensure that happens, the governor today signed an executive order
establishing the Children's Wraparound Steering Committee to oversee
the development of an integrated care system for youth with mental
illnesses and their families.
 
"The issue of mental health care for Oregon children has been long
overlooked," Kulongoski said. "The time has come to develop an
integrated system of care for these children."
 
Kulongoski signed the order surrounded by young Oregonians and their
families whose lives have been adversely affected by mental-health
issues.
 
During the roundtable discussion, Devin Mayner, 16, a sophomore at
North Salem High School, shared his personal experience with mental
illness.
 
"I had a lot of anger toward the world. I felt alone and helpless,
felt I wasn't being heard," Mayner said. "I was doing and selling
drugs, my grades dropped, my sports. Life was not good for me at the
time."
 
He said he was able to turn his life around after he began to receive
services from the Early Assessment and Support Team, a mid-Valley
behavioral care network that helps young people at risk of developing
psychosis.
 
"I'm even looking to graduate a year early," Mayner said.
 
Kulongoski emphasized the importance of investing in early
prevention and treatment programs to help deter youth with mental
illnesses from behavioral and substance abuse problems.
 
His budget proposes an investment of $4.3 million to expand the EAST
program.
 
The governor also addressed the need to integrate and coordinate
services that help address developmental and behavioral disorders in
youth, saying they and their families often need services from
multiple
child-serving agencies.
 
The shared agenda is intended to break down communication and
collaboration barriers that often occur between youth, families,
mental
health providers and agencies, and schools.
 
The newly created steering committee is charged with developing
strategies aimed at improving cross-agency service coordination at the
state and local levels to help provide better care for children, youth
and their families.
 
Under the executive order, the committee must submit its plan to the
governor by October.
 
tguerrero at StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6815
 
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Donna G. Noonan, MPH, CHES
Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Injury Prevention & Epidemiology Program
Oregon Public Health Division
800 NE Oregon, Ste 772
Portland, OR 97232
NEW PHONE NO.:  Phone: 971-673-1023 
NEW FAX NO. Fax 971-673-0990
donna.noonan at state.or.us
http://oregon.gov/dhs/ph/ipe/ysp/index.shtml
 
Join YSPNetwork, Youth Suicide Prevention listserv for the Pacific
Northwest at
http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/yspnetwork
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