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Representative Ruth Balser, the House sponsor of the legislation, said, "It is vital that we create a true mental health care system for children and families, one that is capable of providing high quality, timely, accessible, cost effective care in the best setting for the child. This legislation is a major step in that direction."
Senator Steven Tolman, Senate sponsor of the legislation, remarked, "I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate and House and Governor Patrick, as well as all the families and advocates who worked tirelessly in supporting this bill. This is a great day for children and their families who are living with mental illness but now can receive the care they need."
The legislation was supported by more than 120 organizations, including health care providers, advocates, educators and families, and passed overwhelmingly in both the state Senate and House of Representatives.
"I want to thank Governor Patrick, Senate President Murray, Speaker DiMasi, Senator Tolman and Representative Balser for their tireless efforts on behalf of children and families," said Mary Lou Sudders, president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. "With your actions today, we can begin to insure that children receive the care they need, when they need it and at an earlier age so we can prevent mental illness from stealing any other childhoods."
According to a report by Children's Hospital Boston and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, of the more than 140,000 young people under age 18 who need mental health services each year, more than 100,000 do not receive them.
The consequences of not receiving needed treatment can be devastating for children suffering from mental illness and their families. Suicide remains the third leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24. Tragically, 90% of children who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental disorder at the time of their death. Nearly 50% of children with a mental disorder drop out of school.
Contacte:
Keri Stedman
Children's Hospital Boston
617-919-3110
keri.stedman@childrens.harvard.edu
Matt Noyes
Health Care for All
617-275-2939
mnoyes@hcfama.org
Children's Hospital Boston is one of the nation's premier pediatric medical centers. Fundado en 1869 como un hospital para niños con una capacidad de 20 camas, en la actualidad es un centro integral con 397 camas dedicado a la atención médica de niños y adolescentes. Los valores de excelencia en la atención del paciente y la sensibilidad hacia las complejas necesidades y la diversidad de niños y familias son su fundamento. Children's is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, the largest provider of health care to the children of Massachusetts, and home to the world's leading pediatric research enterprise. For more information about Children's, visit: www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom.
With over 120 committed organizations, the Children's Mental Health Campaign includes health care providers, advocates, families, educators and consumers from across the Commonwealth. They have joined together to reform the mental health care system for children - a system that is broken and seriously flawed. La campaña apoya una reforma que elimina las barreras que los niños y los familiares enfrentan al procurar tratamiento, facilitándoles a las familias el acceso a la atención desde cualquier punto del sistema.
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