Interdivisional Task Force on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Division of School Psychology (APA Division 16)
Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services (APA Division 37)
Division of Family Psychology (APA Division 43)
Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA Division 53)
Society of Pediatric Psychology (APA Division 54)

Two Projects of the Interdivisional Task Force

The Child Mental Health Professional Website is designed to offer psychologists and other mental health professionals to access current APA, Task Force activities, and legislative updates.

The Consumer Website is designed to offer the public, especially parents, teachers, and childcare workers, basic information on children's mental health issues. It can be viewed at http://ucoll.fdu.edu/apa/. It is intended to serve as a portal of information (e.g., organizing websites, links, and resources).

Congressional Briefing

On October 10, 2007 the task force held a congressional briefing entitled "Children's Mental Health: Key Challenges, Strategies, and Effective Solutions". The congressional briefing was extremely successful and the task force soundly thanks Division 16 for its sponsorship. Annie Toro of the APA Public Interest Government Relations Office organized the briefing. The briefing focused on several current legislations being considered by the government, including the reauthorization of SAMHSA, No Child Left Behind, and the Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act. The briefing informed policy makers about the prevalence of children's mental health problems and the failure of the current delivery system to meet the need; the costs of untreated mental health problems to society; the importance of prevention, early intervention and health promotion in any reform effort; the existence of effective psychosocial treatments in the context of inaccessibility of services; and the shortage of mental health professionals trained to work with children and families in a culturally, and linguistically and developmentally sensitive manner.

The moderator was Jane Knitzer, Ed.D. (Director, National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University) and panelists were Janice Cooper, Ph.D. (Director, Child Health and Mental Health, National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University), Kimberly Hoagwood, Ph.D. (Director, Bureau on Youth Services Research, State of New York Office on Mental Health), Ken Martinez, Psy.D. (Former State Director, Children's Behavioral Health, New Mexico), William Pelham, Ph.D. (Director, Center for Children and Families, SUNY-Buffalo), Patrick Tolan, Ph.D. (Director, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois-Chicago), and Mark Weist, Ph.D. (Director, Center for School Mental Health Assistance, University of Maryland School of Medicine).

Attendees were Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI), and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).