12-18-12: A New Focus on Mental Health

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MentalHealth-1218.mp3

In the wake of the Connecticut elementary school massacre, once again the cry goes up: "We need to talk about mental health!"

What does that conversation look like--and what should it look like? Today, we ask Jeff Richardson, executive director of Mosaic Community Services, a behavioral health care provider in Timonium, and Albert Zachik, director of Maryland's Office of Child and Adolescent Services.

The Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has resources for responding to trauma in schools.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network also has resources to help caregivers and educators give support to students following traumatic events like school shootings.

The Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline mentioned in today's program is 1-800-422-0009.

The state’s 24-hour hotline for mental health assistance is 1-800-888-1965.  The Baltimore Crisis Hotline is 410-433-5175.  The state’s Mental Health Administration describes its hotlines here.
  
You can access the Mental Health Association of Maryland here and the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health here.