2010 NAMI National Convention to address concerns for child and adolescent mental health

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will address concerns for child and adolescent mental health at the 2010 NAMI National Convention in Washington, D.C., July 1-3.

The 2010 NAMI Convention also will honor journalist Judith Warner with an award for the book, We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication, which explores difficult decisions parents face in finding help for children who "suffer enormously" from mental illness.

Only one in five children who has a diagnosable mental illness receives treatment, yet children who receive earlier treatment interventions have better outcomes.

On June 1, an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) mental health task force called for pediatricians to perform mental health screenings for children at each doctor visit. The AAP also underscored a need for more child psychiatrists and mental health professionals in communities — to overcome critical shortages.  

NAMI maintains a Child & Adolescent Action Center that focuses on child and adolescent mental health.

The 2010 NAMI Convention full schedule offers many symposia and presentations, including:

Friday, July 2

• Financing and Expanding Children's Mental Health Services (10:45 a.m.)

Despite state budget crises, state governments and local communities can invest in a full array of mental health services, including home and community-based services for children.

• Crisis Intervention in Schools (3:45 p.m.)

Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) can help schools, mental health providers, police and the juvenile justice system provide safer, more effective help to youth experiencing psychiatric crises.

• Understanding and Treating Kids' Behavior Challenges  (7:30 p.m.)

Ross Greene, Ph.D., author of The Explosive Child, will discuss "why challenging kids are challenging," child behavior as development delays and how caregivers improve relations and communications through collaborative problem-solving.

Saturday, July 3

• StrengthofUs: A Social Networking Community for Young Adults (8:45 a.m.)

Learn about StrengthofUs.org, NAMI's new online resource center and social networking website for young adults working to overcome mental health issues.

• "Ask the Doctor Session" on Children and Adolescents (3:15 p.m.)  with Michael Houston, M.D.

SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness