National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, held May 7, will shine a spotlight on the importance of caring for every child's mental health and reinforce that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development.
Created in 2005 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the day's purpose is to increase public awareness about the needs of children with serious mental illness (SMI) and severe emotional disturbance (SED) and their families, provide information about evidence-based practices, and encourage those who need help to seek treatment.
“Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14,” said Carrie Slatton-Hodges, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS). “Early intervention can reduce the effects that can occur later in life. We don’t let other illnesses in youth progress and worsen. Mental health problems must be considered just as important as physical health problems.”
Youth with mental health disorders are more likely to be unhappy at school, absent, suspended or expelled. Their learning is negatively impacted because of poor concentration, distractibility, aggressive behavior, or an inability to retain information or develop peer relationships.
Also, far too many children are exposed to traumatic experiences that profoundly impact their development, said Slatton-Hodges.
Trauma can negatively shape family development. “Poverty. Abuse and neglect. Fractured families and children living separately from families. These are some of the problems we see too often in Oklahoma,” she said.
Addressing the mental health needs of children is the responsibility of all community members.
“Parents, caregivers, family members, teachers and health-care professionals impact how children think about and care for their own mental health, and how they treat others with mental health challenges,” she said. “Safeguarding their physical and mental health should be at the forefront of all our objectives.”
Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference. Access to providers who can render services, including screening, referrals and treatment, are things that all parents and caregivers should know how to access.
ODMHSAS offers several programs through its Children, Youth and Family Services Division.
Programs to reduce substance abuse, violence and other high-risk behaviors; suicide prevention; school-based mental health and substance abuse services; residential substance abuse treatment for pregnant women addicted to drugs or alcohol, which helps break the cycle of addiction; child care consultation services; early intervention for children exposed to trauma; individual, family and group counseling; mobile crisis services; regional crisis centers; transition services for youth and young adults; inpatient acute and residential level psychiatric care; and several others are available.
If you’re unsure of where to start, remember 211 … a great resource to link to behavioral health services across the state. Also, later this summer, simply call 988. Or, for more information about ODMHSAS services, go to https://oklahoma.gov/odmhsas.html.
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