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!