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| Table of Contents Raffle
will help "Catch a Falling Star
| Adirondack Booster Club Donates $3,500
to "Breaking the Silence" | Catching
a Child before his or her World Darkens | Recovering
in the Community | Peer-to-peer
| AMH Annual Dinner- Honoring the Exceptional
| Council will host training with Dr.
Minkoff Adirondack Booster Club Donates $3,500 to "Breaking the Silence" Sean McLaughlin, co-chairperson of the Adirondack Booster Club Golf Tournament and chief chef at the "Italian Spaghetti Dinner", presented AMH with a check for $3,500-the proceeds for both events. The Club has supported mental health the last three years with similar donations. This year, the money will go toward the "Breaking the Silence" campaign (see above.) Previous donations brought the public special programming on TV8-"Claire's Story" and "Depression" plus "Enhance Childhood" and "Enhance Life" bookmarks. The Club's contribution to AMH is just a fraction of the total contributions made annually to the community-at-large. Through weekly bingo at the Glens Falls Civic Center and other events, the Adirondack Booster Club revitalizes nonprofit and Civic Center projects with over $100,000 annually. Bill Nolan is the President of the Club which has over 500 members from as far south as Albany and east into Vermont. "Our main concern is people," stressed Bill. "We have our homes in this community and contributing to the quality of life of our neighbors and friends is important to us." Breaking the Silence in our schools Someone who has a mental illness has moved next door to you. What do you expect the person to be like? What are the common characteristics you associate with mental illness? So begins one of the lessons found in "Breaking the Silence-Teaching the next generation about mental illness" with students identifying and listing their own images. Words like "retarded", "violent" and "recluse" appear on the blackboard, and when the list is complete, fact is sorted from fiction through discussion. Students learn that "mental illness" and "mental retardation" are NOT the same and that the majority of people with mental illnesses are NOT violent. They also learn that having a mental illness does NOT remove you from all of life's realities. "Breaking the Silence" was written by educators-and members of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill-whose children grew up in schools where little was known about their illness. Where they grew up is irrelevant really because mental illness is still not part of most school curriculums. So, your neighbor's child or your own could be experiencing the same alienation and negative stereotyping that occurred to these kids. The lessons plans are an important step in changing this as well as heightening the recognition of teachers so earlier interventions can occur. "It is clear that people everywhere are coming to the realization that if we want to see real change in the way people with mental illnesses are treated and real improvement in access to services and quality of care, we've got to change public attitudes," explains Janet Sussin, co-creator. "The best way to do that is through the means used traditionally by other health care causes, our schools." The Stigma Action Coalition received funding from the Mental Health Association of New York State and the Adirondack Booster Club for this project which will attempt to make mental illness as commonly taught in schools as AIDS prevention and drug and alcohol abuse. Invitations to participate will be mailed to staff when they return to schools in September. Initially, the Coalition wants to work with six middle and high schools before offering the curriculum to all schools in Warren and Washington Counties. Contact Karen Padowicz (747-2284, ext. 237) for more information. Catching a child before his or her world darkens is what mental health is all about Statistics gathered by many sources over the last decade are plentiful and firmly establish why we need to "take seriously" the mental health of our young people. Consider the following: - One in five children has a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral problem that can lead to school failure, family & friend discord, violence or suicide. - Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people aged 15 to 24; the 4th leading cause for ages 10-14 - Help is available, but two-thirds of the children with mental health problems are not getting the help they need. - The American Psychological Association found that "patterns of behavior established in childhood and early adolescence not only wreak havoc, but the foundation for lifelong patterns are manifested in adulthood." - Most school curriculums do not teach mental health so students, teachers and school administrators too easily misinterpret the causes of behaviors and appropriate help is not sought or received. - Although most kids with mental health issues are not violent, Columbine and other tragic events have emphasized the need for mental health programs in our schools.
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