Mental health services assessed

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 19 Jul 2004 - 8:00 PDT

For one Belpre mother, the difference between communities with strong mental health services for children and those without can be seen in her daughter's face. After being treated for depression last year, her 13-year-old daughter once again acts like her old self, said Karen, 40, who asked that her last name not be used. "It's like the sun came out again," Karen said. "Before she was almost unreachable and now she's a happy little girl again. I can't say how important it is to have those options available." An assessment of mental health services available to Washington County children will begin next week, with a goal of ensuring that services for children like Karen's daughter are met. Ben Ogles, professor and chair of the psychology department at Ohio University, will visit and survey people who work with children, from schools to the juvenile court system to health care providers. Ogles is the developer of the Ohio Scales, an assessment instrument adopted by the state of Ohio and several other states. Gathering data will take from six to eight weeks, with another four weeks needed to write a report, Ogles said. "I'll look at the inter-system collaboration, how the current breadth of services matches expectations and any perceived deficiencies," Ogles said. "I'll see if there are any needs that aren't being met." More than 800 Washington County children treated for mental health problems each year, including attention deficit disorder and depression. CONTINUES...........www.mariettatimes.com

By Kate York, kyork@mariettatimes.com

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