In This Issue

Save the Dates!

MACMH's 2006
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference

April 30 to May 2

To ensure you receive information about our annual conference, e-mail your current contact information to info@macmh.org or click here to download the MACMH mail list form.

Volume 14, Issue 2

August 2005
Thank You Conference Sponsors Parent Scholarship Sponsors Dakota County Children's Mental Health Collaborative HSI (Human Services, Inc.) of Washington County Suzanne Miller Minnesota Department of Education MPLN (Minnesota Parent Leadership Network) MACMH's Parent-to-Parent Programs Deb Plumley Beth Prewett Ramsey County Children's Mental Health Collaborative Stevens Community Medical Center Sunday Opening Event Sponsors Abbott Laboratories Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Miller-Dwan Foundation The Northland Foundation Shire St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System Thank You Conference Volunteers Patti Aus Donna Wood Brenda Berglund Jo Thompson Tovarich Bourne Julie Bram Amy Ortega Christine Carney Kathy Dewey Wendi Eliason Chuck Willert Betsy Fish Louise Goetz Linda Hansen Tina Kauma Carol Willert Steffani Kelley Julie Nelson Mary Visneski Loretta Nitsche Paul Wentzel Dennis Finnegan April Gonzales Moeller Darlene Morgan Mary Beth Schafer Marcus Schmidt Victoria Olayinka Rebecca Gustafson Teresa Lamo-Nelson Lisa Peterson Moschkau

MACMH's 2005 Annual Conference Wrap-Up

This year the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health hosted its 9th annual conference, and the event once again attracted hundreds of people dedicated to providing children with the highest quality mental health care. More than 1,250 people attended this year’s conference in scenic Duluth, and many agreed with one conference attendee’s assessment that the conference was “the best mental health conference I have attended—I received worthwhile information from every workshop I attended.” Other participants noted that it was “another great conference!” and commended MACMH for the “good work!” One conference goer let us know that she “hears from people all around the state how much they need, anticipate, and appreciate this conference.” We did have one complaint, however, and that was that people couldn’t be two places at once!

The conference featured three keynote speakers, 72 concurrent workshops, and more than 50 exhibits. We also continued our very well-attended Sunday Evening Opening Event, which some attendees recognized as their “favorite part of the conference.” This year Dr. David G. Fassler addressed the audience on the topic of his recent book, Help Me, I’m Sad: Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Childhood and Adolescent Depression. The evening’s activities also included MACMH’s annual children’s mental health poster contest awards, 18 informative and interactive poster sessions, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and extensive networking opportunities for parents and professionals.

Monday’s keynote address “Dying to be Saved: Strategies for Addressing Adolescents and Violence,” delivered by Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D., outlined a model for understanding violence in the lives of young children. Dr. Hardy’s address recognized that, both as victims and perpetrators, more and more young children have observed, endured, and inflicted acts of aggression and violence that result in deep and traumatic physical, emotional, and psychological scar. Dr. Hardy identified and examined the mental-health related factors that underlie this violence, and he presented ideas about how therapists and other mental health practitioners can address the violence that plagues our young people. Dr. Hardy’s words were both timely and poignant in the aftermath of the Red Lake tragedy.

Barbara Strauch, Tuesday’s lunchtime keynote and author of The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us about Our Kids, drew upon the latest scientific discoveries to make the case that the changes the brain goes through during adolescence are as dramatic and crucial as those that take place in the first two years of life. Conference participants were especially pleased with the way she used anecdotes to illustrate her points and one attendee offered “a mighty thank you to Strauch for writing this incredibly important book, and to MACMH for bringing her here today.”

As in years past, MACMH was especially fortunate to receive funding from a variety of agencies to support portions of the conference. We sincerely thank the Miller-Dwan Foundation, Northland Foundation, Abbott Laboratories, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, St. Mary’s Duluth Clinic/Health Services, and Shire. We also extend a sincere thank you to the Minnesota Department of Education—the conference was partially funded with federal funds awarded to MDE through the grant entitled, Special Education—Grants to States, CFDA 84.027A. In fact, their scholarship dollars provided funding for 77 parents to attend the conference. Several other agencies and collaboratives also provided much needed support for parents to attend. (For a complete list of MACMH 2005 conference sponsors, see next page).

Plans for the 2006 conference are underway—we will post details on our website as they become available. The six photos on the left are from our Sunday Evening Opening Event.

The six photos on the right are from our Sunday Evening Opening Event.

Conference Scholarships

For several years parents have eagerly read this notice in our newsletter to learn how and when they would be able to apply for a scholarship to attend MACMH’s annual conference. This year, unfortunately, we have to convey a different message. The funds that we have relied on to provide scholarships for the past several years are no longer available; therefore MACMH will not be able to offer parent scholarships for the 2006 MACMH Child and Adolescent Conference. We are extremely disappointed that we cannot offer these scholarships because we know how much the families we support value the information they gain and the connections they make at the conference.

If you are a parent who was planning to apply for a scholarship to attend the 2006 MACMH Child and Adolescent Conference, please read on for suggestions of where you might find funding.

• You can request funding from your child’s school. Ask the Special Education Director in your district about possible funds set aside for parent training. Also try the PTA.
• CADI, MR/RC and Consumer self-directed waiver dollars can be used to fund the conference fee and possibly some associated expenses. Be sure to contact your social worker early so the funding is included in your annual budget.
• Try contacting your local Children’s Mental Health Collaborative, Family Service Collaborative, Local Advisory Council (LAC), Local Coordinating Council (LCC), and other local parent organizations. In fact, if you get involved now you can campaign for scholarship money to be part of the group’s annual budget. For phone numbers and contacts at these organizations call MACMH.
• Many corporations have local community support programs. For example, try calling your local Wal-Mart, Target, Cub Foods, or Rainbow Foods! Ask to speak to a manager who should be able to tell you about their giving program.
• Contact your church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious organization.
• Try local civic organizations such as the American Legion, VFW, Elks Club, and Masonic Lodge. Many of these groups are involved in children’s causes. These organizations are often more willing to give if you offer to “report back” on your experience—this also opens up another opportunity to spread awareness about children’s mental health.
• Ask your insurance company to contribute to your cost. It may be a slim chance, but a good idea. Make the case that your access to the information and resources presented at the conference is preventative care they should subsidize, just like they offer discounts on exercise programs and other preventative care.

Some organizations like to see materials about the conference to help them decide if they want to offer funding. If you need any such materials, please visit our website or contact our office. We wish all parents much success in securing funding and look forward to a lively and informative 2006 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference.

165 Western Avenue North Saint Paul, MN 55102 Phone: 651-644-7333 1-800-528-4511 Fax: 651-644-7391