Childhood Schizophrenia and Other Brain Disorders
This month, The Detroit Free Press is starting a three part series on Children in Crisis: Mental Health,". It is an important, but disturbing report - and is valuable reading for families, support groups, and especially public policy makers.
The series, is available at www.freep.com/specials
So far, Michigan has settled for a sort of mental health shuffle board.
Some kids are lucky enough to have their problems spotted and be referred for
managed mental health care. A great many, though, are far less fortunate. They
either go un-cared for or are shuffled into juvenile detention, foster care or
jails -- all overburdened systems that are ill-equipped to diagnose, let alone
care for, children with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression.
���Much of the problem is that Michigan is like a dog chasing its tail on this
issue. If the state had a method, which it incredibly does not, of accurately
counting each child in need, legislators might understand the consequences of
inadequately funding the Department of Community Health. They might even see the danger in the shortage of state-run psychiatric hospitals for young people. Once there were six, now only one.
Posted by szadmin at September 7, 2004 02:59 AM
More Information on
Schizophrenia Advocacy
WE got caught in this trap.IT was so sad. NO place for our son. Depleteeed funds..united way helped a bit. with care. THen they ran out and we had to make a big diecision. I didnt want to give up allmy rightds to my child, i didint want jail or juvinal hall for him. ididint want foster care for him or to wait for a place in teh state institutions which sounded too rough for him sinc ethey werent enough to have speciaites. So we knew we would be paying out of pocket and our lives would change but hopfully for the better..giving him an healthier chance to grow and develope. HE is out of state. WE are in MIchigan. IT has been two years nearly adn i still cry daily . but a he is getting better. he wroks very hard. unfortunaltly he jsut lsot some sight in one eye due to and injury and he has an illness that now requires daily injects for many years. ..this along with his mental illness.MY family of origin is around him daily. I am so grateful. WE will be moving soon again to down saize again for med bills. I have MI too.
Posted by: Kelly at September 20, 2004 12:05 AM
WE got caught in this trap.IT was so sad. NO place for our son. Depleteeed funds..united way helped a bit. with care. THen they ran out and we had to make a big diecision. I didnt want to give up allmy rightds to my child, i didint want jail or juvinal hall for him. ididint want foster care for him or to wait for a place in teh state institutions which sounded too rough for him sinc ethey werent enough to have speciaites. So we knew we would be paying out of pocket and our lives would change but hopfully for the better..giving him an healthier chance to grow and develope. HE is out of state. WE are in MIchigan. IT has been two years nearly adn i still cry daily . but a he is getting better. he wroks very hard. unfortunaltly he jsut lsot some sight in one eye due to and injury and he has an illness that now requires daily injects for many years. ..this along with his mental illness.MY family of origin is around him daily. I am so grateful. WE will be moving soon again to down saize again for med bills. I have MI too.
Posted by: Kelly at September 20, 2004 12:05 AM