Bush plans to screen whole US population for mental illness

[Deborah]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145436,00.html
Sundance: Drugged Kids, Stupid Parents

You can barely set foot in a theater at Sundance this year without seeing wise teenagers who are ignored by stupid parents.

Sometimes the kids are so annoying that the parents, who are busy having affairs, drug the kids rather than deal with them.

Is it a trend? Is someone trying to tell us something? Or is it just an easy way out? I wish I knew the answer.

I told you yesterday about Mike Mills' excellent feature, "Thumbsucker," based on Walter Kirn's novel. The movie stars 19-year-old Lou Taylor Pucci as a disaffected teen who's drugged by his parents, survives it and winds up finding some sanity.

What saves "Thumbsucker" from banality and implausibility is Mills' tremendous sense of heart, style, warmth and genuine love of his characters. There is nothing cynical  about "Thumbsucker." Pucci's performance is sheer
genius. But as of this writing, the film has no distributor.

[Deborah]

Tampa Tribune
Pinellas Schools Bar Suicide Test For Teenagers
By ADAM EMERSON
Published: Jan 26, 2005

LARGO - Pinellas County School Board members on Tuesday refused to subject students to suicide screenings, quashing any hope of introducing a controversial mental health plan in two of Florida's largest school districts.

Board members took less than 30 minutes to reject a proposal to change a policy that prohibits surveys such as TeenScreen, a test designed to spot suicidal thoughts and other mental health disorders in youngsters.

Their decision met with applause from an audience of nearly 140 people, mostly members of the Church of Scientology, whose adherents have overwhelmed the board with e-mail expressing outrage over the proposal.

Linda Lerner was the only board member to support the proposal, and she accused her colleagues of flinching before the e-mail blitz, a gesture that drew shouts and murmurs from the audience.

Lerner called teen suicide ``a real issue and a real problem, [and] this board is being stopped from even discussing it.''

Board members objected to Lerner's comments. They cited unease over a screening they said was inappropriate for students. Some said the test questions are too intrusive, and it was unclear who would help students once problems were discovered.

David Shern, dean of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida, had asked the school board to change its policy and allow TeenScreen.

There is too much confusion about the program, which requires consent from parents and students, Shern said.

The board received e-mail from people who tried to derail the proposal by spreading erroneous information about TeenScreen, he said. ``I am very disappointed.''

TeenScreen was developed by New York's Columbia University and is used in 41 states. Students spend about 10 minutes answering 30 questions designed to gauge their mental health.

If therapists or psychologists find problems, they interview the teen and provide options for mental health services, if appropriate.
The Hillsborough County school district in recent months also considered the program.

Administrators, however, worried that there would be no long-term help for students without health insurance, and they found the test too intrusive.

The Pinellas school board has received more than 700 e-mail messages about TeenScreen. Most of them are from Scientologists who consider psychiatry and psychology abominations. Church members said all parents should worry about exposing their children to such testing.

Before this week, Pinellas school board member Jane Gallucci sought more information about the program.

She said Tuesday that she was angry that Laurie Flynn, of Columbia University, told a U.S. Senate committee on health and education matters 10 months ago that pilot TeenScreen programs were operating in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Shern said Flynn meant only that mental health specialists and the school districts were working to develop the program in one Tampa high school and in one St. Petersburg high school. Flynn has sent a letter of apology to the Pinellas County School Board, Shern said.

[Anonymous]

How might it happen that programs are subject to the Hatch Act? Sure covers much of the abuse in program land.
Right down to isolation, values clarification, contrived incidents for self-revelation.
Now, if it is inappropriate for kids in public school, how can anyone defend its use in the industry? See paragraph 3.

New Canaan Advertiser, New Canaan, Conn, Thursday, January 27, 2005, Page 2A
Hetherington Proposal Pleases Ablechild.org

State Rep. John Hetherington of the 125th District introduced legislation this month that aims to expand procedural safeguards regarding a parent's right to refuse psychiatric or psychological testing and/or mental evaluation of a child.

The legislation, "An Act Concerning Psychiatric and Psychological Testing of School Children and Procedural Safeguards for Parents," requires that the Department of Education include the statement that neither the State nor Federal Department of Education can endorse or recommend any "mental health" checklist, particular form of assessment or evaluation for psychiatric disorders in its "Steps to Protect a Child's Right to Special Education: Procedural Safeguards" publication.

It also requires that parents receive a copy of the Federal code for "Protection of Pupil Rights", and a copy of the Hatch Amendment to the General Education Provisions Act.  The latter is a letter that parents can sign if they do not want their child involved in certain school activities, including those having to do with psychological and psychiatric treatment; values clarification; contrived incidents for self-revelation; isolation techniques; death education; curricula pertaining to drugs and alcohol; educating on human sexuality; pornography and any materials containing profanity and/or sexual explicitness; guided fantasy techniques, and organic evolution.

The use of the letter, devised by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, went into effect in November 1984.

In 2001, Connecticut was the first state to pass legislation prohibiting schools from recommending the use of a psychotropic drug for any child.  Since then, six other states have followed suit with similar laws.  On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the "Prohibition on Mandatory Medication Amendment," A Federal law prohibiting school officials from requiring that a child take a controlled substance in order to remain in school.

"Children are labeled with stigmatizing mental 'disorders' based on a checklist of behaviors, not on scientific or medical evidence," Noelle Talevi, executive director of the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights of Connecticut (CCHR), said in an Ablechild.org press release.

CCHR is an international human rights organization that investigates and exposes psychiatric violations of human rights.

Ablechild is a grassroots parent organization that advocates for informed consent and the right to refuse psychological and psychiatric treatment for children.  Its national vice president is Sheila Matthews of New Canaan.

"Parents are too frequently faced with having no choice but to have their child evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist in order to get services in school, thus opening them up to subjective, unscientific labels and possible drug 'treatment,' without being given all of the facts," Ms. Talevi continued. "They are not warned that the diagnoses are not based on medical testing, but completely subjective, and that their child can be diagnosed and referred for drug treatment based solely on a checklist of behaviors. (The proposed legislation) is another great step toward giving control back to parents in regard to their child's education."

[jjpinks]

I wrote to him last year when I first heard of this, and this is what his reply was.



November 15, 2004


Dear Mrs. -----

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with The
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. It is good to hear from you.

The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was appointed by
President Bush to propose ways to eliminate waste and improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of the mental health care delivery system. The
Commission submitted their final report to the President in July of 2003.
The Commission did not call for universal screening of the population for
mental illness. The Commission's recommendation stated that mental
illness affects people of all ages, it can be treated best when diagnosed
early,
and that screening should be available in primary care settings. The report
encouraged physical and mental health providers in the public and private
sectors to collaborate.

Last year, Secretary Tommy Thompson announced that Health and
Human Services (HHS) would lead a multi-agency process to thoroughly
review and assess the final report to identify any appropriate steps the
Administration can take to improve care for the mentally ill. This action
agenda is under development and will be aligned with the Administration's
priorities and the principles set forth by the President in the Executive Order
creating the Commission. These principles include: no new Federal
resources, protection of patient privacy, maintaining personal and family
control over care decisions, and helping those with the greatest need.

The Commission itself was independent of the White House and the
President has not commented on the final report. Neither the Administration
nor the President will propose screening the entire population for mental
illness. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure
that Americans have the best possible options available in mental health care
and that all citizens' rights to privacy are protected.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with
me. If I may ever be of assistance to you in the future, please do not
hesitate
to let me know.



Sincerely,

Saxby Chambliss
United States Senate

[Deborah]

Um hum.
There is rhetoric and then there is reality.
The wheels are in motion. Kids have already been screened without 'parental consent', despite the ongoing rhetoric that parents may 'opt out'. Hard to opt out, after the fact.

Actually, he wasn't lying when he stated that it wasn't the president's intention to screen the entire population. My original title may have been misleading. And then again, it may not be, down the road.
Originally, it was 'everyone except males over 18'.

They will continue with their agenda until the public tires. Then, as with all unpleasant government policies, they will do as they please. If we want this stopped, opposition must be strong and as persistent as they are until it ends and schools are again free of psychiatry.

[jjpinks]

That is exactly why I wrote to the senator. I don't think that it is a good idea to open our kids up to governmental screening for anything. I think that if more people voice their opposition to the right people, maybe someone will listen.

As you can see, the letter was dated back in November. I contacted 3 other members of the senate with my same concerns and I got just about the same reply out of all 3.

Please contact your state reps and senators, they are the ones that need to know that this is wrong.

[Deborah]

This just passed....
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/h ... 042s01.htm


 General Description:
This bill prohibits school personnel from making certain medical recommendations for a minor, including the use of psychotropic drugs, and prohibits consideration of a petition for removal of a minor, and removal of a minor from parental custody based on a parent's refusal to consent to the administration of psychotropic drugs. Highlighted Provisions:        
This bill:
prohibits school personnel from making certain medical recommendations for a minor, including the use of psychotropic drugs; prohibits the removal of a minor from parental custody based on a parent's refusal to consent to the administration of psychotropic drugs; and
prohibits the consideration of a petition for removal of a minor from parental custody based on a parent's refusal to consent to the administration of psychotropic drugs.


Except as provided in Subsection (4), (5), or (6), school personnel may not:
(a) recommend to a parent or guardian that a child take or continue to take a psychotropic drug as a condition for attending school; (b) require that a child take or continue to take a psychotropic drug as a condition for attending school; (c) recommend that a parent or guardian seek or use any of the following:               (i) the administration of any psychotropic medication to a child;
(ii) a psychiatric or psychological treatment for a child; or
(iii) a psychiatric evaluation of a child;
(d) conduct a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation or mental health screening, test, evaluation, or assessment of a child; (e) recommend a licensed physician, psychologist, or any other health specialist to a parent or guardian for a child; or (f) make a child abuse or neglect report to authorities, including the Division of Child and Family Services, solely H. or primarily .H on the basis that a parent or guardian refuses to consent to:
(i) the administration of a psychotropic drug to a child;
(ii) a psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral treatment for a child; or
(iii) a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation of a child.
(3) Nothing in this section may be construed to restrict school personnel from:
(a) communicating information between school personnel regarding a child;
(b) informing a child's parent or guardian of a perceived behavioral problem of the child, provided that:
(i) an assertion or recommendation is not made in violation of Subsection (2); and
(ii) an attempt is not made to denigrate, criticize, or punish a parent, guardian, or child
for a decision made by the parent or guardian for the child to take, not take, or discontinue to
take a psychotropic drug; or (c) exercising their authority relating to the placement within the school or readmission of a child who may be or has been suspended or expelled for a violation of Section 53A-11-904 .
(4) Notwithstanding Subsections (2)(c) and (d), a mental health professional acting in accordance with Title 58, Chapter 60, Mental Health Professional Practice Act, or licensed through the State Board of Education, working within the school system may, for the sole purpose of complying with federal education law:
(a) recommend, but not require, a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation of a child;
(b) recommend, but not require, psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral treatment for a child; and
(c) conduct a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation or mental health screening, test, evaluation, or assessment of a child if a child's parent or guardian signs a consent form that provides notice of the specific psychiatric or behavioral mental health evaluation or mental
health screening, test, evaluation, or assessment and includes a copy of any mental health test
that will be administered.
(5) Notwithstanding Subsection (2)(f), school personnel may make a report that would otherwise be prohibited under Subsection (2)(f) if failure to take the action described under Subsection (2)(f) would present a serious, imminent risk to the child's safety or the safety of others.
(6) A local school board shall adopt a policy that indicates that a violation of this section is cause for disciplinary action under Section 53A-8-104 .

More at the link.

[Anonymous]

Wake Opts Out Of National Survey Because Of Pointed Questions

http://www.wral.com/news/4209041/detail.html

POSTED: 3:47 pm EST February 17, 2005
UPDATED: 4:28 pm EST February 17, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A survey of teens is supposed to find out how many teens use drugs, have sex or think about suicide state-wide and nationwide. But, the survey does not stop with yes or no answers. Follow-up questions, for instance,
ask what kind of birth control students are using. It's those descriptive questions that are worrying Wake County Schools.
           
           SURVEY QUESTIONS
Read the survey questions that Wake County school officials are concerned about.
Middle School Questionnaire
High School Questionnaire
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Every two years, the federal government attempts to get into the minds of teenagers with an anonymous survey. The approach is subtle. The questions are not. Middle school students are asked questions such as "Have you ever used any
form of cocaine?" and "Have you ever made a plan about how you would kill yourself?"  

High school students are also asked about sexual activity.

"The questions that concern me are the probing questions about sexual intercourse," said Carol Parker, a Wake County school board member.

Parker isn't the only one who's uncomfortable. The school system doesn't like the survey and opted not to participate.

"In some areas with regard to suicide and drug abuse we believe it may introduce an idea to students that they hadn't thought of before," said school spokesman Michael Evans.

Plus, the sex questions aren't in line with the school system's abstinence until marriage policy.

"On the other hand, the answer is not to not get the information if we want to take seriously what's going on in kids' world," said Susan Parry, Wake County school board chairperson.

Parry sees value in the survey. So do health care professionals.

"I think we stick our head in the sand if we believe our children aren't involved in some of these activities," said Gibbie Harris, Wake County health director.

Harris said it is important to understand teenage trends to create prevention programs. Plus, other questions deal with health and fitness such as "during the past 7 days how many times did you eat French fries?"

"We know we have problems and we need to deal with them and good information helps us deal with those in a most appropriate way," Harris said.

The Wake County Health Department and the school system are trying to come up with a compromise. They're planning to write up a different survey, but that raises other questions.

"...I think we risk losing specifics when we don't ask point blank questions," Harris said.

As for the national survey, North Carolina only has 62 middle schools on board along with 67 high schools. That may not be enough to participate.

Reporter: Kelcey Carlson
Photographer: Richard Adkins
OnLine Producer: Rod Overton

[Anonymous]

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2589742
Psychotropic drug bill to get Senate vote
By Ronnie Lynn
The Salt Lake Tribune

      After more than an hour of debate, the Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would prohibit teachers from recommending that
students take psychotropic drugs.  :question:
[Has 'Federal law' mandated the school psychologist evaluate kids even if the psycho doesn't even believe the student needs it? How about the psychologists maintain an office outside the school and parents can seek their service if/when they decide they want it? What a cash cow- given their estimates that 1 in 5 (or more) kids now have some form of 'mental illness'.]

      "It's tying the hands of mental health professionals," Bell said. "It's not right."  :question:
[Not right? Do schools have full-time MDs on staff, screening kids for potential medical conditions? No. They can be found in their offices, where they should be, if/when someone desires their services.

      That amendment failed. :exclaim:

       Supporters argued that the measure includes a safety net by allowing court intervention in extreme cases.

[Deborah]

Psycho Feds Target Children
By Rep. Ron Paul, MD

    Every parent in America should be made aware of a presidential initiative called the "New Freedom Commission on Mental Health." This commission issued a report last year calling for the mandatory mental health screening of American schoolchildren, meaning millions of kids will be forced to undergo psychiatric screening whether their parents consent or not. At issue is the fundamental right of parents to decide what medical treatment is appropriate for their children.

   Forced mental health screening simply has no place in a free or decent society. The government does not own you or your kids, and it has no legitimate authority to interfere in your family's intimate health matters. Psychiatric diagnoses are inherently subjective, and the drugs regularly prescribed produce serious side effects, especially in children's developing brains. The bottom line is that mental health issues are a matter for parents, children, and their doctors, not government.

   Unfortunately, however, the mental health screening initiative received funding from House and Senate appropriators in the 2005 federal budget. This funding allows states to create or expand mental health screening programs with your tax dollars. More importantly, the commission recommends a broader federal program in the near future.

   Last fall I introduced an amendment to eliminate any funding for the proposal in a year-end spending bill. Although the amendment failed, the response to my office was overwhelming and highly supportive. The notion of federal bureaucrats ordering potentially millions of youngsters to take psychotropic drugs like Ritalin strikes an emotional chord with American parents, who are sick of relinquishing more and more parental control to government.

   Accordingly, the first bill I introduced this year forbids federal funds from being used for any mental-health screening of students without the express, written, voluntary, informed consent of their parents. The bill is known as "The Parental Consent Act of 2005," or HR 181. This legislation strikes a vital blow for parents who oppose government interference with their parental authority, and strengthens the fundamental right of parents to direct and control the upbringing and education of their children.

   It is important to understand that powerful interests, namely federal bureaucrats and pharmaceutical lobbies, are behind the push for mental health screening in schools. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to run our lives, and the pharmaceutical industry is eager to sell psychotropic drugs to millions of new customers in American schools. Only tremendous public opposition will suffice to overcome the lobbying and bureaucratic power behind the president's New Freedom Commission.

   Your help is needed. Please tell everyone you know about HR 181, and ask them to call their representatives and senators in Washington to voice strong opposition to forced mental health screening. Demand that the Department of Health and Human Services receive no tax dollars in this year's appropriation bill for screening programs, and that states receive no federal dollars for programs of their own. Refer to my congressional website for articles from September 2004 about mental health screening, and sobering statistics about anti-depressant drugs and kids in the text of HR 181. Most of all, talk with your friends, family, and colleagues about the underlying issue of whether the state owns your kids. Remind them that freedom can be maintained only when state power is limited, especially when it comes to fundamental freedoms over our bodies and minds.

Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from  Texas.

[Froderik]

Bush plans to screen whole US population for mental illness

He'll be beginning with himself, then? :lol:

[Antigen]

Yeah, right?

I'm worried that the troubled parent industry will get some cheese off of this. I maean, if the school shrink slaps an ODD or ADD dx on your kid, couldn't the edcons make some hay out of lobbying them to accept TBS as an alternative to whatever default treatment they might rx?

If life were fair, Dan Quayle would be making a living asking 'Do you want fries with that?'
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6302294274/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'>John Cleese

[Froderik]

Uh huh... ::unhappy::    ......::kma::

[Deborah]

Forwarded from AbleChild:
I am appealing to you for your support in defeating H.R. 181 - Parental Consent Act of 2005 - which has been introduced in the House by Congressmen Ron Paul and Tom Feeney. This very important legislation is in opposition to the federal government implementing mandatory and universal mental health screening.

HR 181 will prevent federal funding of the mandatory mental health screening program signed by President Bush in 2004 as an Executive Order based upon the recommendations of The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. This order puts in place mandatory mental health screening of 52,000,000 children in our public schools. These children will be assessed/evaluated, diagnosed, and consequently prescribed mind-altering drugs in the form of pschiatric drugs(i.e. Ritalin, Adderall, antidepressants, SSRIs). If this Executive Order is funded parents will loose their right to consent, for the order will be mandatory! The rights of parents to make decisions for, to direct and control the upbringing of their children will be halted and the future of those children imperiled. It is important to note within H.R. 181, Section 2 - Findings, paragraph (5) which quotes from the psychiatric profession's own "bible" of psychiatric diagnosis named Diagnostic and Statistical Manual which
admits that diagnostic criteria for mental illness are vague and "DSM-IV criteria remain a consensus without clear empirical data supporting the number of items required for the diagnosis." Thus findings of mental illness are subjective!

It is with great urgency I am calling upon you to sign The Liberty Committee's Petition in SUPPORT OF H.R. 181 - Parental Consent Act of 2005. Help to stop the funding of such an Orwellian Executive Order! Please view this petition at: http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/pcapetition.htm

Additionally I request your support of the Declaration of Refusal to comply with any new Freedom Commission Mandate for Universal Mental Health Screening of children in the schools. Please view and sign this petition found at http://www.ablechild.org/declaration%20 ... fusal.aspx

You may view the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health by going to http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/r ... ort-05.htm

or you may review the Executive Summary to this report at
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/r ... Report.htm

Please be an active participant in this movement to stop the funding of this universal mandatory mental health screening process. Sign the petitions and then please send this email out to your mailing list. YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED!

Gloria Wright
NC Vice President
Ablechild.org
http://www.ablechild.org

[Deborah]

HB 42 medical recommendations by rep Mike Morley passed the Utah Senate 17-8.

This bill prohibits teachers from even recommending let alone force psych testing, diagnosing, treatment and drugs to parents.

It also says that if a school psychologist wants to test a child they have to provide the parent with a copy of the test before they can even get a
written permission. The school psych also cannot force parents to do anything.

It prohibits the Division of Child and Family Services from filing a petition and or removing a child whose parents refuse psych testing,
diagnosing, treatment and drugs.

It is now going to the Governor for signature.

You can find the bill at:
http://www.le.state.ut.us

go to numbered bills and click on HB 42 S2 as
Once you are in the page click on the second amendment and it will give you the final text.