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of Contents Projects for Schools How often are teachers aware that a student with a mental illness is in the classroom? How familiar are they about the effects of medication on learning? What do teachers consider the four most important mental health problems among youth? And, how can the mental health community help them find answers? These are a sampling of the questions COFAMH-the Coalition for the Advancement of Mental Health-will ask in a Questionnaire for Educators and Youth Leaders. The project is part of COFAMH's educational efforts to shatter stigma. Results will be used for content development in the "Catch a Falling Star" project and for future Coalition programs. One new Coalition project is "Get Psyched-a mental health field trip conference for youth" in March 2002. The conference will be free of charge, held at ACC, limited to 100 high school health and psychology students, and provide information about depression and how this illness can lead to destructive behaviors-substance abuse, eating disorders, and suicide. The four-hour program will include clinicians, video, personal perspectives and improvisational presentations. Sample lesson plans, "Breaking the Silence-Teaching the next generation about mental illness" and the "Catch a Falling Star" project packet will also be available free of charge. Educators and students will learn more about these projects in an upcoming newsletter created specially for the school community. For information contact Karen Padowicz (747-2284, ext. 237) While looking for a place to have lunch in lower Manhattan, I saw a man in 18th century garb luring people into Fraunces Tavern crying out "George Washington ate here and you should too". In the lobby a flyer described The Great Fire of 1835, which the tavern had survived. It read: "On December 16, 1835 there was a major fire in lower Manhattan that caused more damage to property than any other in the history of New York. It destroyed more than twenty blocks of mostly wooden buildings bounded by Wall and Broad streets and the East River. Every fire company in Manhattan and many from Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey responded to the alarm. Four hundred firemen from as far away as Philadelphia came to help in the effort. The fire completely destroyed most of the buildings in the commercial district including piers and warehouses. Damages were estimated to be as much as $40 million dollars. The volume of insurance claims forced more than twenty-three insurance companies in the city to declare bankruptcy". The fire was subdued on December 18, 1835. New York City survived this tragedy and went on to become the greatest city in the world. We will survive September 11, 2001. At the end of the day, I stopped at the World Trade Center site. I thought about that message. Freedom, individual rights and liberties is what we are all about. Terrorism has attacked us - tried to oppress our basic fiber - and although it can hurt us, win a battle, and seem powerful for a time, it cannot withstand the will of freedom. Oppression can never win. In our present stage of trauma and this new time of uncertainty, it is often difficult to remain focused and positive toward our future accomplishments, but as has been said many times in recent days, perseverance is the most important task that we bear. We all need to grieve and to wonder and reflect, but we cannot let fear direct our lives. We need more than ever to remember our mission and continue to celebrate freedom. The Association's many services have withstood many challenges over time. Funding for mental health has always been a struggle and this year we are faced with a nonexistent state budget, yet we continue to enhance our new and existing initiatives... specialized housing, the consolidation of agency programs, development of a single point of entry, eliminating stigma through education and dialogue, lobbying to have mental health understood in equal terms as physical health…all will continue to progress. We do not know the collateral impact that will ultimately effect us, but we know that we have to work together as a community to tighten our belts when we have to and to prioritize needs when we have to. We will survive because freedom can only be stalled it can never be oppressed. As we mourn the lives of those lost and as our hearts go out to the families, friends and those directly affected by the horror of September 11th, I would like to extend my grateful appreciation to our staff, service recipients and all those associated and familiar with our mission and work for their camaraderie. It is a difficult time for the entire nation and we the people need more than ever to care for each other.
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