The following was painstakingly transcribed for the WORLD to see. It was obtained from the Alexandria Community Services Board via a verbal FOIA Request made a couple weeks ago. It's a response from the Board to Mel Riddile ( a former STRAIGHT, Inc. regional and program director) regarding his testimony at the May 10, 2007 public hearing on mental health and substance abuse issues involving school children in Alexandria VA. Keep in mind that this is strictly the reply that the Board sent and not his actual testimony. That will come later, sometime within the next week or so.
"May 16, 2007
Dear Dr. Riddile,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak at the Community Services Board's Public Hearing on May 10th. We are acutely aware of the tremendous need for additional mental health and substance abuse services for students in the schools and appreciated hearing your perspective on this issue.
A major goal of our Board's Five Year Strategic Plan is to strengthen, enhance and expand services to children and youth. Two years ago, the CSB reorganized its services for youth and families to create an integrated seamless system of care through the Child, Family and Prevention Division under the leadership of Deborah Warren, LCSW, DCSW. Over the past year, Ms. Warren has secured almost one million dollars in additional federal and state grant funding to serve extremely high risk youth, but we know there is still much to be done, especially in the provision of additional services within the school system.
We plan to use your comments, as well as those of the other speakers representing youth and the schools, as we continue to advocate with City Council for additional staffing to serve this population. As you are aware, however, we are operating under considerable budget constraints as far as additional City funding goes.
We will continue to make every effort to secure funding to provide expanded services for youth. As we mentioned at the hearing, we are a lead agency in the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria's Mental Health & Substance Abuse Prevention Work Group, a community-wide coalition that has chosen to focus on youth in its first year through an anti-stigma campaign (Alexandria's Mental Health HOPE Campaign), depression and suicide prevention workshops for youth and gatekeepers, a community anti-drug coalition, and long-term efforts to secure funding to provide additional prevention and intervention staff in the schools.
We want to thank you again for providing us with your input. It is only through our collaboration with school personnel and other community entities concerned with youth issues that we will make the significant inroads needed to adequately serve Alexandria's young people.
Sincerely,
Mary Riley
Michael Gilmore"
