The Hawn Foundation

Washington, DC (May 7, 2009) – In honor of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, Goldie Hawn, children’s advocate and founder of The Hawn Foundation, campaigned for effective school-based children’s mental health programs at a Congressional briefing today.

“Children represent a fraction of our population, but 100% of our future. One in ten suffer from serious mental health disorders, and most aren’t getting the help they need. We need to address this crisis before it’s too late,” Hawn said.

Working with leading neuroscientists, educators, and researchers, the Hawn Foundation has developed a program called MindUP – now in hundreds of schools – that equips kids with simple, practical tools that help them understand and manage their behavior, reduce stress, increase empathy and improve academic performance.

“Increasing social and emotional learning skills is cost-effective and makes a big impact,” Hawn said. “Congress should increase funding to scale up programs like these to save our children’s lives, save our schools, and save our nation’s money, too.”

The briefing focused on investment in the educational future of children with mental health needs, a population that has the highest drop-out and failure rates and the lowest academic achievement of any disability group. The briefing was jointly hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health.

Howard Muscott, director of the New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Kathryn Power, director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), presented positive outcomes data from CMHS grant sites across the country. The data show that effective children’s mental health programs promote positive youth development, recovery, and increased resiliency, allowing children with mental health needs to thrive in their communities.

The briefing also highlighted the need for congressional support for Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act and the Mental Health in Schools Act, legislation that recognizes the partnership that must be established between schools and communities to ensure that children with mental health needs are identified and linked with effective services and supports. ###

 
Eight young performers living with mental health challenges from across the country joined child advocate Goldie Hawn last night for a celebration of resilience. The event was part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) “HEAR ME NOW: A Celebration of Resiliency through the Performing Arts” commemoration of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, which took place at the Harman Center For the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Hawn received the SAMHSA Special Recognition Award for her work to increase public understanding of the role mental health plays in the total well-being of children and youth through her non-profit foundation, The Hawn Foundation. SAMHSA presented the award at the national Awareness Day event that was co-hosted by Twilight’s Solomon Trimble and Disney’s The Cheetah Girls’ Sabrina Bryan.

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is SAMHSA’s annual demonstration of collaboration among numerous and diverse individuals, organizations, and agencies in the public and private sector working to provide greater access to community-based mental health services for children and youth with serious mental-health needs and their families.

 “National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day offers an opportunity to raise broader awareness about the importance of social and emotional well-being in youth,” said acting SAMHSA Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. “The performers last night show that young people with mental health challenges can thrive in their community. SAMHSA studies show that access to comprehensive mental health services has incredible impact. Students are less likely to drop out of high school or receive school disciplinary action, and more likely reach higher levels of achievement after participating in systems of care programs.”

More than 750 attendees enjoyed song, dance and recited spoken word performances by youth performers from SAMHSA-funded system of care communities which are networks of community-based comprehensive mental health services and supports that help children. The performances demonstrated the power of the performing arts in helping youth with mental health needs thrive at home, at school, and in the community.

Performers included Jasmine Flenoy from Cuyahoga Tapestry System of Care in Cleveland, OH; Max Health and Kristian Smith from 7 Generation in Los Angeles, CA; Marquee James and Mya Meriweather from Allegheny County System of Care in Pittsburgh, PA; Marquita Jones from San Francisco System of Care in San Francisco, CA; Eddie Ortiz from Columbia River Wraparound in Dalles, OR; and Sam Stache from Community Circle of Care in Dubuque, IA.

Communities across the country also observed the day with events, youth demonstrations, and social networking campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and the need for community-based children’s mental health supports and services. More than 40 leading child- and youth-serving agencies and organizations joined SAMHSA in championing Awareness Day this year, speaking as a unified voice to support children and youth with mental health needs and their families.

For the first time, SAMHSA and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (established by current Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper) collaborated to raise awareness about children’s mental health in celebration of Awareness Day. The observance offered the two nations an opportunity to focus attention on increasing access to services for children and youth with mental health needs and their families through community events and outreach to the public.

For more information about National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, visit www.samhsa.gov/children.
  
###
 
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead Federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.