CAYARAC Motion Susan Hess, who is on the Centre of Excellence's Consumer Advisory Reference Group (CARG) sent this along. She says that it would be great if "all agencies (School Boards etc.) involved with Education, Health and Children and Youth Services worked together to seek support from the Provincial government on this pressing issue"

I agree that it would be great if all parties worked together. The challenge of working together often has to do with having the resources to work together and the ability to share the rewards (credit, recognition - otherwise "the profits").

CAYARAC (Children and Youth at Risk Advisory Committee) MOTION re: MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY

Whereas

" The lack of mental health care for children and youth is creating a health care crisis" 1 in which it is estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem during their lifetime; and almost one in five Ontario children and youth has at least one mental-health disorder (Offord, 1989) and of the children in need, only one in six receives any therapeutic treatment in the formal care system (CMHO, 2001).2

Whereas

Increasingly, younger students in elementary school (Kindergarten to Grade 6) are being diagnosed with mental illness. Suicide, depression, eating disorders (such as bulimia and anorexia), drug and alcohol dependence, and self-harm (deliberately injuring the body in ways that are not life-threatening) are becoming the epidemics of adolescence.(Stigma and Teens, 2002).3

Whereas

Many people in need of mental health care are not able to access needed services and supports and there are increasing numbers of people with addictions and mental illness living lives of poverty and isolation in the "community" or living in prisons . Despite increasing emphasis on community-based care, many services continue to be delivered within an institutional framework, fostering dependency rather than recovery. 4

Whereas

The mandate of the OCDSB’s (Ottawa Carleton District School Board) Children and Youth At Risk Advisory Committee is

to address the factors and circumstances that impact on the children and youth and their families that may increase their vulnerability to school failure and limit the likelihood of success and to provide feedback, advice and recommendations

to the board of trustees of the OCDSB on the effectiveness and efficiencies of programs and services within the context of the Board’s resources

to reflect in discussions and comments to the OCDSB on the multitude of factors in our broader community that may negatively impact the family and increase the vulnerability of our children and youth;

Therefore be it resolved that:

CAYARAC encourage the Board of the OCDSB to write to and meet with the Minister of Education to seek solutions to the current challenges facing the Board with respect to meeting the mental health needs of its students. These solutions include but are not limited to:

a) Encouraging more direct partnerships with community agencies;

b) Where possible increasing direct mental health services to children , youth and their families in OCDSB schools by increasing the number of service staff (e.g.Social Workers, mental health workers, public health nurses etc.) available per school;

c) Raising the issue of the effects of unmet mental health needs upon the Education system at the next OPSBA AGM in June 2006

d) Encouraging the OCDSB to investigate the provision of free evening parenting classes (provided either by OCDSB staff or community partners), with daycare to be provided by students requiring Community Service volunteer hours.

e) Advocating with the Ministry of Education:

to increase school board funding to meet the increased mental health service needs of children and youth

to seek opportunities for increased integration between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

References

1 Davidson, S., (2006) CAYARAC Committee meeting minutes. March 28, 2006, Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

2 CMHO Prebudget Submission February 2004: Wright, 1996

3 Coulman, J.A. (2003) Education in Ontario: Education Resources and the Mental Health of Children and Youth. CAMH http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/content/mental_health_system/children_and_youth.asp?cID=3986

4. Joint Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 36: Local Health System Integration Act. Karen McGrath,Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, Paul Garfinkel,President & Chief Executive Officer,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, David Kelly,Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addictions Program  ¶ 3:19 p.m. 0 comments

  Podcasts Hitting Mainstream My colleague David Zavitz sent this email about podcasts:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Podcasts have hit the mainstream consciousness but have not yet seen widespread use. One-quarter of online consumers express interest in podcasts, with most interested in time-shifting existing radio and Internet radio channels. Companies that are interested in using podcasts for their audio should focus not only on downloads but also on streaming audio as a means to get their content and ads to consumers.

blog entry: http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2006/04/forrester_podca_1.html

http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,38761,00.html  ¶ 3:15 p.m. 0 comments