Last January, a 16-year-old girl suffering with bipolar disorder named Yolanda Torres committed suicide. She wasn't one of the handful of lucky children in Massachusetts to get the mental health care she needed. Like the rest of the nation, the Massachusetts system of care for children is abominable. A 2006 report found that 102,000 of the state's 146,000 children needing mental health services actually got any help.
This week, the state's House of Representatives may vote on Yolanda's Law which will dramatically increase services to Massachusetts children. Among the changes are its increase in screenings by pediatricians, day cares and preschools. The bill will also provide addiional assistance to schools for mental health services and even increase options available to those with managed care insurance.
The only opposition? The psychotics at the Church of Scientology. I guess if the kids can make it to the mothership, they'll be okay. But more on them in a later post. Keep up the good work Massachusetts!
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