ACTION ALERT: Bring the Kids Home - Funding for In-state Programs in Jeopardy
The House Finance subcommittee overseeing the Health and Social Services budget has recommended cuts to the Governor's proposed budget for the Bring the Kids Home (BTKH) Initiative by $825,000 (57%). The remaining $625,000 will not allow for BTKH project goals to be met in 2011.
Bring the Kids Home is a joint initiative by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and the State of Alaska to reduce the number of youth sent out-of-state to residential psychiatric treatment centers (RPTC). Two of the program's goals include shifting the state's cost for children's mental health care to in-state expenditures and increasing treatment services as close to home as possible. BTKH has reduced by 85.4% the number of admissions to costly out-of-state RPTC since its inception in 2004. Action is needed TODAY and NEXT WEEK to voice your concern about these reductions!
EMAIL OR CALL TODAY - Send an email, fax a letter or make a phone call to the House Finance Committee members listed below announcing your support for the Governor's numbers.
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Co-Chair: Representative_Mike_Hawker@legis.state.ak.us 800-478-4950 FAX 907-465-4979
Co-Chair: Representative_Bill_Stoltze@legis.state.ak.us 866-465-4958 FAX 907-465-4928
Vice-Chair: Representative_Bill_Thomas@legis.state.ak.us 888-461-3732 FAX 907-465-2652
Members:
Representative_Alan_Austerman@legis.state.ak.us 800-865-2487 FAX 907-465-4956
Representative_Anna_Fairclough@legis.state.ak.us 800-861-5688 FAX 907-465-2819
Representative_Reggie_Joule@legis.state.ak.us 800-782-4833 FAX 907-465-4586
Representative_Mike_Kelly@legis.state.ak.us 866-465-4976 FAX 907-465-3883
Representative_Mike_Doogan@legis.state.ak.us 800-689-4998 FAX 907-465-4419
Representative_Neal_Foster@legis.state.ak.us 800-478-3789 FAX 907-465-3242
Representative_Les_Gara@legis.state.ak.us 888-465-2647 FX 907-465-3518
Representative_Woodie_Salmon@legis.state.ak.us 800-491-4527 FAX 907-465-2197
CALL IN FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY - TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, March 2 & 3 Call in and offer your personal story during the public testimony for the House Finance Committee. Public Testimony limited to 2-minutes each. You must arrive 15 minutes before the end of the allotted time period or testimony will be closed. Please do not speak over your allotted time!
Monday, March 2
1:30 - 2:30 - Juneau
2:45 - 3:45 - Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction
4:00 - 5:15 - Anchorage
Alaska's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome rate fell 32 percent between 1996-2002
During that time, the rate among Alaska Native births dropped by half
Alaska Native babies were born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) half as often around the year 2000 as they were five to seven years earlier, Department of Health and Social Services researchers found in an analysis of Alaska Birth Defects Registry data. That change brought the state's overall rate from 1996 to 2002 down by a third, researchers reported in the State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin released yesterday.
The analysis found the rate among Alaska Native births decreased to 32.4 children with FAS per 10,000 live births from 63.1 (down 49 percent); the rate increased from 3.7 to 6.1 among non-Native births (not a statistically significant change.) Alaska's overall rate dropped to 13.5 from 20.0. The analysis ends with births in 2002 in order to incorporate doctors' reports of suspected birth defects caused by maternal drinking. Doctors have until children are 6 to make that mandatory report.
To read more about this decline, please go to:http://www.hss.state.ak.us/press/2010/FAS_pr_021810.pdf
Feds require Equal Coverage for Mental Health Issues
New regulations issued by the U.S. government will now bar health insurance companies from limiting coverage or charging higher costs for people with mental health or substance abuse issues. The new rules require any group health plan that includes substance abuse or mental health coverage to treat these conditions equally with medical and surgical coverage in terms of benefit limits, benefits practices, and out-of-pocket expenses. These new rules also apply to health insurance policies provided by employers.
To read the full story, click on: http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/news-461144-98.html?ic=6003Hormone may help alleviate autism symptoms
Oxytocin, a hormone often referred to as the "cuddle chemical" for its role in helping to foster intimate relationships-particularly between mothers and their newborns-may help people with autism to read and react to social cues, according to the preliminary results of a small study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders often have trouble engaging and interacting in social situations, frequently avoiding eye contact, for example, and previous research has also shown that people who are autistic often have lower levels of the hormone oxytocin. Ecstasy is a stimulant like various classes of amphetamines, but the popular club drug is more likely to kill young and otherwise healthy users. U.K. researchers who studied ecstasy and amphetamine related deaths found that ecstasy-related deaths were more common among "victims who were young, healthy, and less likely to be known as drug users."
Study author Fabrizio Schifano of the University of Hertfordshire said that ecstasy seemed to have a higher "intrinsic toxicity," particularly among users ages 16-24. Schifano speculated that the deaths could be related to the fact that adolescents' brains are still developing.
The study was published in the journal Neuropsychobiology.
Is My Child too Sick for School? What symptoms tell you.
Last night your toddler was running a slight temperature and actually asked to go to bed -- not her usual MO. By morning she's fever-free, scarfing down her scrambled eggs and chasing the dog around the backyard. You're conflicted: Should you keep her home from daycare -- upending your finely tuned schedule -- or send her off as usual? Sometimes a child's symptoms (say, Technicolor vomit or a cough like a barking seal) make the decision a no-brainer. Other times, not so much. To alleviate that early-A.M. angst, pediatricians are here to help you figure out when your child (and you!) should get the green light to carry on as usual.
Fever
Good to go:
Your child is good to go if he's over 4 months old, has a temperature below 100.4°F, is receptive to drinking fluids, and doesn't appear to have had a personality transplant.
Too sick:
If your baby is 4 months old or younger, call the doctor at the slightest indication of fever (anything above 98.6°F) or a sudden change in behavior; daycare is out. Older children should stay home if their temps rise above 100.4°F. A feverish child is not only considered contagious, but he's also probably not feeling well enough to learn or participate. Keep him home until he's been fever-free for 24 hours and is feeling like his usual self.
Vomiting
Good to go:
She's heaved only once in 24 hours. It's not likely she has an infection, nor is she at risk for dehydration. Sometimes kids throw up because mucus left over from a cold has drained, in which case it's also not worthy of a sick day.
Too sick:
If your child has vomited two or more times in 24 hours, she's benched. Watch for signs of dehydration as well: She's peeing less than usual and her urine is dark yellow; she doesn't produce tears when she cries; or there are no bubbles between her lips and her gums. To ward off dehydration, offer small amounts of fluid frequently, increasing the amount as tolerated. One more thing: Don't automatically send your child back once the vomiting stops. If she's not markedly better after a few days, call the doctor.
Red eyes
Good to go:
When the white part of the child's eye is only slightly pink and the discharge is clear and watery, he's likely got a school-safe allergy.
Too sick:
His eye is stuck shut, bright red, and/or oozing yellow or green discharge. These symptoms all indicate the highly contagious bacterial form of pinkeye (conjunctivitis), and the kiddo should stay put until he's been on antibiotics for 24 hours or until the goopiness dries up.
Diarrhea
Good to go:
Your child's stools are only slightly loose and she's acting normally. Some kids develop "toddler's diarrhea," triggered by a juice OD; as long as the poop isn't excessive, the child has the all-clear.
Too sick:
Kids who have the runs more than three times a day and/or have poop so watery it leaks out of the diaper need to stay put. They likely have an infection that can spread. If you see blood or mucus in the stool, call the doctor; she may want to do a culture. As with vomiting, watch for signs of dehydration, and follow the same prevention advice.
Sore throat
Good to go:
A sore throat accompanied by a runny nose is often just due to simple irritation from the draining mucus; send him off as long as he's fever-free.
Too sick:
If the achy throat is accompanied by swollen glands, a fever, headache, or stomachache, bring him to the doctor for a strep test, especially if he's 3 or older (the bacterial infection is unusual in younger kids). Children with strep should be on antibiotics for at least a full day before mixing in with the class.
Stomachache
Good to go:
If this is your child's only symptom and she's active, send her off. It could signal constipation, or even a case of nerves (in which case, a hug will go far).
Too sick:
Any stomachache associated with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or no interest in play warrants a trip to the M.D. Sharp stomach pain and a rigid belly can be signs of severe constipation, appendicitis, or a bowel obstruction.
Colds
Good to go:
If your child is fever-free and isn't hacking up a storm, he's a go. After all, if children with snotty noses were excluded, schools would be empty!
Too sick:
Junior is staying home if he has a persistent, phlegmy cough and seems cranky or lethargic. He's also couch-bound if his cold symptoms are accompanied by a fever or wheezing.
All the above info is pediatrician-approved by: Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D., author of Mommy Calls; Laura Jana, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and owner of the Primrose School of Legacy, an educational childcare center in Omaha, NE; and Lorry Glenn Rubin, M.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, NY.
AYFN Recommended Read: Borderline Personality Disorder and Adolescents
Borderline Personality Disorder and Adolescents offers parents, caregivers, and adolescents themselves a complete understanding of this complex and tough-to-treat disorder. It thoroughly explains what it is and what a patient's treatment options are. Readers will learn the differences between NAMI">BPD and other adolescent psychiatric diagnoses; treatment options (e.g., medication and therapy); how to choose the right therapist; how to determine when inpatient treatment is necessary; how to enforce boundaries; how to take care of and protect yourself; and practical techniques for effective communication with those who have BPD.If this book appeals to you, go to: http://astore.amazon.com/alayouandfamn-20/detail/1592332870 When you purchase a recommended read from Amazon.com, AYFN gets a portion of the purchase price to help continue our work with Alaskan families. 
