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History
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| When you focus only on your child's physical health, you're missing half the picture. |
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May is mental health month and May 6 - 12 is Children's Mental Health Week. Please help bring awareness of the importance of children's mental health. "Children's Mental Health Matters"
The Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) began in the fall of 2006 when Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) hosted a summit to determine strategies to improve access to mental health services for children ages 0-8. Over 50 mental health providers and referral organizations were represented at the summit. They determined that hiring a coordinator to facilitate access was a top priority. As a result, DMF provided a $75,000 grant to SouthEastern North Dakota Community Action Agency (SENDCAA), Fargo, ND, to fund the initiative's first year and the coordinator position.
In April 2007, a CMH coordinator was hired and began working on additional summit-identified priorities. Meetings were held with children's mental health service providers in Cass and Clay Counties to gather information about their services. Once accomplished, this information was compiled into a comprehensive Children's Mental Health Resource Guide and distributed to all Cass and Clay County providers and referral sources, as well as the general community. An advisory council comprised of over 20 area children's mental health experts was also formed.
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A second summit was held in the fall of 2007 where educating the community about children's mental health issues and how to access services was identified as a priority. To address this need, community children's mental health fairs were held in May 2008, 2009 and 2010, with informational booths and keynote speakers focusing on early childhood mental health issues. Free community education sessions also provided information to the general public on behavior management, child advocacy and early childhood psychiatric disorders. The health fair and educational offerings have seen significant increases in attendance each year. The third annual Children's Mental Health Summit was held in the fall of 2008. Input gathered from the 2008 Summit drove the newly expanded services of the initiative.
A website and newsletters provide ongoing information.
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