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General Disability Resources
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A new program will give Louisiana parents information about the best mental-health services for children with psychological problems. The new initiative from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which was announced Thursday, will not offer treatment directly, but instead will focus on educating parents about what services are available. "It's going to be about education and advocacy for people to request services and demand that they be available," said Dr. Kathleen Crapanzano, medical director of the state Office of Mental Health. Louisiana is one of three states -- the others are Illinois and Pennsylvania -- that the alliance is including in a test of its Family Network Program, which is designed to get as much information as possible to parents so they will know what to ask for if their children are in psychological distress, said Jennifer Jantz, director of the organization's Louisiana affiliate. Although the details of the educational program are still being developed, she said the information will be imparted through mental- health groups that already work with families, such as Families Helping Families, as well as classes offered by existing programs around the state. "From there we hope to grow the network," Jantz said. As a result of such training, parents will not only know what exists for their children but also learn how to push for the best treatment possible, Jantz said. The program, which eventually will go nationwide, is designed to keep children from ricocheting throughout the mental-health system, which can happen if there is no general knowledge of what is available, Crapanzano said. The program, which eventually will go nationwide, is designed to keep children from ricocheting throughout the mental-health system, which can happen if there is no general knowledge of what is available, Crapanzano said. "There may be places where kids with mental-health issues may end up inappropriately because their needs weren't met," she said. The focus of the initiative will be on evidence-based practices, which are methods that have been proved successful, Jantz said. Many of them probably would not require hospitalization, Crapanzano said. "Twenty years ago, we used to hospitalize children for mental-health issues all the time," she said. "Now we realize it's better to keep children in family settings." The need for mental-health care is acute, Crapanzano and Jantz said, because so many professionals in this field have left the New Orleans area since Hurricane Katrina hit. According to a federal health agency, 89 percent of the psychiatrists have set up practices elsewhere. Consequently, there is also the possibility that the number of children referred could overwhelm the available services. But the effort must be made, Jantz said, because alliance figures show that only about 7 percent of the Louisiana children with mental-health problems are receiving the help they need. More information about the program is available by e-mailing namilouisiana@bellsouth.net and by calling (866) 851-6264. John Pope can be reached at jpope@timespicayune.com or at (504)826-3317. |
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