Re: [Mpls] schools/children topics

[ABerget]

The Alliance for Children & Families has a key rekationship with the
Children's Mental Health Collaborative - a group not without their own
problems - and the Alliance recently convened a large gathering of educators,
service providers and other children's advocates on this subject. I can
provide contact information to anyone interested.

Also a key  player at the state level is Roseville DFL State Representative
Mindy Grielling who has been at the forefront of the debate on larger mental
health issues.
Senator Don Betzold, too - and I can give you a list of others when I can get
to another computer...Let me know if you want more.

And NAMI-MN - The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Minnesota - has a
strong legislative advocacy arm as well as a much needed Family-to-Family
outreach to those dealing with bio-brain diseases in their families.

Don't overlook Atty General Hatch and his investigative efforts about Blue
Cross/Blue Shield's (and others) devious payment practices in matters of
mental heal coverage for their subscribers - especially those involving
children.

When I was on the School Board I was very frustrated at the low level of
awareness most policy makers have about mental healt issues - especially in
children.

Dr. Will Dikel at the U of M is a leading scholar and expert on the
relationship between such problems and children's achievement in school - as
well as the knotty problem posed by the familial link in some of these
illnesses.

I could go on and on.  This is such an important issue.

Ann Berget
Kingfield 10-10