Mandatory mental health screening for kids????

[Shodan]

Hope this wasn't already on here somewhere- heard this on the radio on my drive home from karate tonight. I think it's awful and agree with Dr. Laura......what do you all think about it?


Subject: Tell Congress "NO Money For Mental Health Screening Of Kids!" Date: 2004-11-16


Tell Congress "NO Money For Mental Health Screening Of Kids!"


As many of you know—Dr. Laura doesn't lose any sleep over the little disagreements people have with each other. But when it comes to things that are harmful to children—Dr. Laura doesn't play around. So Dr. Laura asks each and every one of you to step up because it’s time for us take on the President of the United States!

Did you know there is a presidential initiative called The “New Freedom Commission on Mental Health” and they have issued a report recommending forced mental health screening for every child in America, including school age children?

This is a huge red flag and it is our responsibility to protect our children. Even officials of the respected Association of American Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS) decry what they see as “a dangerous scheme that will heap even more coercive pressure on parents to medicate children with potentially dangerous side effects.” One of the most “dangerous side effects” from anti-depressants commonly prescribed to children is suicide, regarding which AAPS added, “Further, even the government’s own task force has concluded that mental health screening does little to prevent suicide.”

Included in the current version of the appropriations bill is funding for grants to implement universal mental health screening for almost 60 million children, pregnant women, and adults in school.

The House has already voted to appropriate $20 million for the scheme, and the Senate wants to bump it up to $44 million. I don’t know what our President is thinking because this sort of plan is dangerous.

This is a private matter for parents, kids, and doctors. Children's health, especially mental health, is none of the government's business. Of course a tiny minority of children suffer from legitimate mental illnesses, but the widespread use of Ritalin and other drugs on youngsters who simply exhibit typical rambunctious, fidgety, and impatient behavior is nothing short of criminal. Children’s brains are still developing, and the truth is we have no idea what the long-term side effects of psychiatric drugs may be.

Dr. Karen Effrem, a physician who strongly opposes mandatory mental health screening, is concerned that mental health screening could be used to label children whose attitudes, religious beliefs, and political views conflict with the secular belief that dominates our schools.

Why are Congress and President Bush pushing this? Every single parent listening should be outraged and I am urging you to take action now.

We must do everything possible to retain responsibility and control over our children’s well-being. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to rule every aspect of our lives, including how we raise our children.

Dr. Laura wants you to contact Congress and tell them "NO money for mental health screening of kids!" We have to stop this before it’s too late.

 

[shesulsa]

This came across my autism awareness mail list a month or so ago. It was pushed by a local senator because his son was bipolar and committed suicide. This is supposed to help screen kids in need so that they can get help.

Bull pucky.

Our insurance programs barely pay for mental health services at all right now - how the heck can we expect them to pay in the future???

More big brother in our medical files - it is NFB and sounds to me like a good way to get guns out of the hands of the public, for one, an invasion of privacy for another, another way for insurance companies to raise their prices and for smaller companies to go bankrupt, allowing more conglomorates and monopolies which make the old rich white men richer, etcetera.

I am incensed about this and I hope every one of you are too!!

 

[TigerWoman]

Hah! I remember when attention deficit syndome was the buzzword and everybodies kid was sent home with a note from the school that they need to get on ritalin. (California) Mine included. Not hardly needed. She was nowhere near a problem, just was not always paying attention. She liked to talk in second grade. That made me angry and this does too.

So they medicate everybodies kid again and find out ritalin or whatever drug is causing brain damage or something else. Sue the government?
I think the Moms would revolt in a big way before that happened.

Is this to find out who's borderline schizo in high school or just a way to make all the kids zombies and be sure to pay attention. Hey Moms and Dads are too busy working two or three jobs (minimum wage too) to pay for outrageous taxes so little Johnny has to let himself in after school and raise himself. So why don't they start with the cause of the problem - government? I stayed home with my kids, albeit working at home but at least I saw a definite improvement in them after I did.

Laura Schlessinger is usually right on. TW

 

[Oak Bo]

I stayed home with my kids, albeit working at home but at least I saw a definite improvement in them after I did.

Good for you TW!
It's a shame more Mom's aren't able to stay home and raise the kids.
I think you'd see a big improvement in the young ones.

Don't sell yourself short on the working at home stuff either TW. Being a Mother is the most important job there is, and it's also the hardest.
:karate:

 

[Flatlander]

I can understand budgeting money to pay for psychological assessments, and to assist in the treatment of children whose parents come forward and request help. I think that making this a mandatory initiative is scary, and unnecessary overkill. I am seriously astonished at the illogical solutions that governments come up with. What a bizarre think.


BTW - how on earth is $44 million enough money to cover the screening of every child in the US?

 

[raedyn]

According to US census data, there are 57,234,000 people aged 3-24 enrolled in school (less than college level) as of Oct 2002. I'm pretty sure less than $1 per child is going to be insufficient.

But they probably don't propose to bring the testing in across the entire swath of age groups. So say they plan to implement the testing on all 12 yr olds. There are (as of Oct 2002) 4,304,000 12 yr olds in the US. Even if they only administered the testing to those 12 yr olds that are in school that's 4,243,000 kids to test. Ten bucks a kid still wouldn't cut it.

my source:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2002.html

The legislation is probably well-intentioned, but the potential for mis-use is enormous. Mental health problems carry major stigmas with them. Do you really want your child to be labelled as 'crazy' for the rest of his/her life? No they won't say crazy. They'll call it something else, but people who are uneducated or unfamiliar with mental illness will think 'crazy'. And the children might be treated differently because of it.

 

[Shodan]

It's refreshing to see that nobody actually agrees with going thru with this so far. Thanks for the input everyone!

:asian: :karate: