Bring Friends into the Conversation
A letter and request from Darrell Evora, President & CEO
May 9, 2013
Today is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. By raising awareness, we hope to engage others in the conversation about children with severe depression, anxiety or an undiagnosed mental health disorder. Help us stress the need to expand programs and resources to make outcomes-driven treatment a reality.
Help fight the silent epidemic of mental illness that affects 1 in 5 kids in the U.S.1
The onset of major mental illness can occur as young as 7-11 years old.2 But nearly 80 percent of kids ages 7-18 who live with mental illness don’t get the help they need.3
The cost to our communities and to children increases the longer they go untreated. For example, suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth and young adults aged 15-24 and is almost always the result of untreated or undertreated mental illness.4 Many who struggle with mental illness drop out of high school or end up in prison.
Children’s Mental Health Matters
Children don’t have a voice in the policy debate occurring at the federal, state or local level. You can be their voice and save a life. We’ll keep you updated on ways you can help kids who struggle.
Today what you can do is share this information with a friend, check out additional resources on our website, and share the message through social media – any of which will help others learn the facts about mental illness.
Thank you,
Darrell Evora, MCP, MBA
President & CEO
Getting Help Matters
Do you know someone who needs help? As President Obama said during his declaration of National Mental Health Awareness Month, “Asking for help is not a sign of weakness – it is a sign of strength.” We agree! If you, or someone you know, need help locating services, you can start by calling 1-800-662-HELP or The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
Your Voice Matters
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and join the conversation. Use the social media tools below to help spread the word about Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. Share the posts, tweets and images with your friends and family.
Thank you for all you do to help kids in crisis.
Spread the Word. Help a Child in Crisis.
Use these tools to spread the word about children's mental health week. Help a child in crisis by sharing these facts, tweets, posts and images with your communities.
| #helpkidsCA |
Use #helpkidsCA to to join the conversation. |
Resources
Do you know a child or teen struggling with mental illness? Find facts and resources at our resource website - www.helpkids.org/mental-health
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Federal and State Policy and Legislation
NAMI data on California Children and Teens
Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (FFCMH)
“Out of the Shadows: Exposing Stigma”
President Obama’s Proclamation -- National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2013
To Get Updates and Alerts
Sign up for emails (on the right) to get advocacy updates and calls to action plus news about EMQ FamiliesFirst programs and services. We will send you no more than one email per week.
For More Information
If you have additional comments or questions, please contact Eva Terrazas, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, or call her at (408) 628-5596.
Thanks for all you do to help
children in crisis and their families.
1"Facts on Children's Mental Health",n.d., <http://www.emqff.org/press/docs/bazelon_mental_health.pdf> (accessed May 3, 2013)
2"Children's Mental Health Fact Sheet", n.d., <http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/galleries/business-practice%20files/Childrens%20MH%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf> (accessed May 1, 2013)
3"Facts on Children's Mental Health",n.d., <http://www.emqff.org/press/docs/bazelon_mental_health.pdf> (accessed May 3, 2013)
4"Facts on Children's Mental Health in America", July 2010, <http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=federal_and_state_policy_legislation&template=/
ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=43804> (accessed May 1, 2013) |
I felt that there is hope today when I thought that there was none when this started.
