CMH continues to be addressed at The White House

Yesterday, President Obama and Vice President Biden hosted a National Conference on Mental Health as part of efforts to increase the conversation about mental health awareness. The Federation's Executive Director, Sandra Spencer, has been a huge part of providing information that the President and Vice President are using to bring attention to the need for reform. Sandra reports excitement from the Presidents remarks at the Conference because what he said meant that he had been listening to the information that the FFCMH had been supplying to the appointed task force.
Sandra states that she was pleased to hear the President talk about parents who are shamed and, therefore, don't always seek help for their children. He also said "we whisper about mental health" but speak openly about any other health related condition. President Obama even made a comment that let us know he even knew about our NCMHAW theme, stating that "we need to bring mental health out of the shadows."
I get very energized about the work we are doing to share information about children's mental health when I hear great things like this. The Federation's advocacy work is an important aspect of mental health in general because of the designated 'family' representation. And it all comes down to that fact that we, Federation members, get it. We know how it feels, and we know what families go through. It's nice to have someone by your side that can understand where you have been and where you might be going. As the work continues to bring more attention to children's mental health and reducing stigma, I hope that there are many more opportunities to impress information within our culture from our leadership down to our families.
The information and some text included in this post is a small recap of the information included in the FFCMH's newsletter Reclaiming Children. To read more about this event, visit the following site to see more:

The FFCMH Mission is Accomplished by Sharing Personal Experiences

Why do I advocate for the National Federation of Families? Because the commitment of each and every staff member, board member, and even the leadership is completely and absolutely personal. All of these people are there because of the experiences they had as they have fought for their children's mental health needs and the rights of all other children to have their mental health needs met also.

Recently, the Executive Director, Sandra Spencer, and Marie Niahros, a Family Resource Specialist, were invited by the Child Mind Institute to participate in an event for their Speak Up for Kids Campaign in May. Child Mind created an on-line interactive event that featured Sandra and Marie as they told about the Federation and how each of them have worked to navigate the mental health system in order to find the best care for their children. The video is fantastic and it is an example of that real life experience motivating the real work behind the Federation mission. Click the following link to view the event titled: "Bringing Mental Illness out of the Shadows - A Parent's Perspective."

Watching the video clip renews my energy for the job that we have to do in sharing the message of children's mental health awareness. We can't say it loud enough or strong enough... Mental illness does not develop from bad parenting. Parents are not guilty of their child's mental health challenges and should not be ashamed when their child needs treatment. Shame only causes avoidance and denial -- which will never allow children to get the support they need. When I see teens suffering through substance abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts, I see a medical disorder -- not a family problem, and not a parenting problem. Disorders don't go away if you just try harder not to have them, a diagnosis is not a disability, and treatment does not mean personal weakness.

I'm proud, not ashamed, to say that I belong to this group and use my personal experience to encourage other families. As we each have the courage to tell our story, we empower someone somewhere to do the same. That's how we end the cycle of stigma and mental health disparities. It's a mission of the heart, and obviously the mind too.

Taking care of my own mental health too...

With all of the activities going on during National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, I always have a tendency to wear myself a little thin emotionally. It is such an important time of the year and there is such a limited amount of time to get everything in that's possible to manage. I knew that I had  reached my limit at around 3pm on Friday when I saw a friend/co-worker leaving the event for the day with her running clothes on and a huge smile on her face. At that moment I would have given anything to trade her places, as I still had another event  that evening before I could call it a week well done. Seeing her and thinking of running made me long inside to be doing the same! I realized that above all else, that is my ultimate stress reliever and I couldn't wait for the next opportunity I would have to run my little heart out!

So I started thinking about what makes running such a great stress reliever and mental health "balancer" for me. Believe me, it's not because I can win any races, cause I'm quite slow -- but I think it's the all around experience. I have a certain route that I run (and also bike) that is near our house. We are out in the country, so it's pretty quiet for the most part and a lot of my route is completely shaded by trees. There is one area that I love where I pass by a large wheat field. Since it's usually in the evening, the sun is setting and the golden cast is just beautiful. Amusingly, it always reminds me of the part in "Forrest Gump" when he is running across the country! And that's the experience that I long for -- it's soothing and calming and my mind aches for it when things are hectic.

It's important for me to remember that I have to take care of my own mental health in order to be able to take care of my family's mental health needs too. Not only do I exercise, but I take my prescribed medications everyday, and pay close attention to how different foods affect me emotionally too. An excess of sugars can make me anxious, overeating causes lethargy, too little food makes me irritable and moody. Our daily diets are not just fuel for our bodies, but our minds also. That awareness is something I try to pass on to our children too -- helping them pay attention to how they feel when they have had too much of something or not enough of others, including sleep.

Why do I advocate for children's mental health instead of adult mental health? Simply because raising a new generation to understand the importance of mental health and the medical nature of it changes all of our futures. If I can convince adults along the way, then it's a two for one bargain! Now, I'm heading out for another stroll through the country to work on me.

Canada Celebrates Awareness Week Too!

The Institute of Families for Child & Youth Mental Health is helping Canada to celebrate Children's Mental Health this week also! This organization led by Keli Anderson, their Executive Director, is helping to share information to help families navigate the mental health system while receiving support as they go. At the Federation of Families here in the US, we are proud to have the Institute of Families as a sister organization and also extremely happy they adopted the green ribbon as their symbol! We love how they have made it their own by shaping it into a heart!

The Institute of Families for Child & Youth Mental Health (IF) is a central coordinating organization that acts as the catalyst to connect families with mental health care providers, policy makers, educators, researchers, service providers and businesses across Canada. Tomorrow they will officially release their FamilySmart Initiative -- a trademark that will identify and endorse practices, research, policies, programs and services, which relate to child and youth mental health, and are meaningful and make a difference to families. 

I just can't express what a wonderful undertaking this is for children and families! I wish them all of the success possible and I look forward to seeing great things from them for years to come. Be sure to visit the new FamilySmart website when it goes live tomorrow!

A Flash from the Past that Continues to be a Part of My CMH Advocacy

Several years ago, I created a healthy relationship curriculum for high school students that was called SMART Education (Saving Marriages And Relationships Together). In the therapy setting, I found that I was teaching the same concepts time and time again regarding relationship skills. It was apparent that there was a lack of relationship education that could be solved quite easily, and so I set out to change that! With the help of a Federal Grant in our area called Safe Schools/Healthy Students, I was able to teach the curriculum to 7 different school districts for several years. However, when funding disappears, dishearteningly so does the opportunity for education. The curriculum is still available from the Illinois Baptist Children's Home and can be implemented very effectively by anyone ready to make a difference for our youth.
So for several years, I have drifted away from relationship education to a more broad sense of mental health with my children's mental health advocacy. But today, I got a chance to unite the two of them and it was a powerful combination in helping our youth with mental health and relationship issues. I had the opportunity to "teach" during the Eldorado Friend of MHINDS meeting today (during the students' lunch time) and I was able to share some of those concepts that stirred the creation of the curriculum many years ago.
Ever heard of a genogram? That was the focus of our discussion today. It's a tool that helps you create a visual representation of the family patterns and dynamics that have been present for years. It's one thing to kind of know in your mind what has developed in family relationships over the years, but it's a completely different thing when you put it down on paper. Seeing the diagram of your history provides insight as to the underlying ideas about relationships that your family has passed down. If you are aware of the good and bad, you are much better equipped to continue making better choices for yourself. But the key to using a genogram is that you must understand that you are still in control no matter what. Just because a negative pattern exists it doesn't mean destiny for you -- unless you try to ignore it completely! High school students love this activity because it really is ALL about THEM. It's exciting to see them embrace the concept and use it for their continual mental health growth!
Seeing the two of these advocacy areas come together as one was an uplifting experience for me today! It prompts me to begin thinking again about how to get this curriculum out there to our youth who need this information. Let me know if you have any thoughts about accomplishing this... We all have to work together to make changes!