Edgewood Supports National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, May 7

May 4, 2009

Edgewood is joining with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the fourth annual National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 7. Awareness Day is an opportunity for SAMHSA, SAMHSA-funded communities, and partner organizations such as Edgewood to raise awareness of effective programs for children's mental health needs and promote positive youth development, recovery, and resilience.

The theme for this year's Awareness Day is Thriving in the Community, highlighting that high school youth who receive the services they need are more likely to have positive outcomes, such as better grades and higher rates of education, and less likely to have negative outcomes, such as involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
Moderate to severe mental health and behavioral problems affect 50-80% of children in out-of-home care. Despite the disproportionate need, some estimate only about 25% of children in foster care receive mental health services at any given time. Consequently, Edgewood has long been committed to better addressing the mental health care needs of children and youth in the child welfare system and to the system of care philosophy in child mental health services.

For more information about what you can do to support National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 7, visit the website ...

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