Tag Archive: media

  1. 125 attend Community Conversation about children’s mental health in Charlottesville

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    On December 4th, 2014,  parents, youth, mental health professionals and advocates, school system representatives and elected officials from the Charlottesville came together for our “Community Conversation about Children’s Mental Health”. The turnout was phenomenal, with over 125 people, many of whom shared their views about what’s working and what’s not working with our children’s mental heath system.

     The evening started with a panel that included Senator Creigh Deeds, Dr. Jeff Aaron (Facility Director of the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents), Neta Davis (Director of Child and Family Services at Region 10 CSB), and Dr. Laura Easter (Director of Community Services at Elk Hill).  Panelist discussed the children’s mental health system from their unique perspectives and funding to the improve children’s crisis response and child psychiatry services was highlighted. The conversation that followed highlighted the ongoing difficulties families often face in accessing mental health treatment for their children, as well as suggestions for improvements.

    Check out the media coverage the event received in advance and after the event:

    The Daily Progress: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/mental-health-care-for-children-needs-improvement/article_e26f0084-7c2b-11e4-a832-4f0fe4cc3844.html

    Additional pictures: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/children-s-mental-health-forum/collection_4e7027b2-7c19-11e4-91e6-97a80217d236.html

     The Roanoke Times: (Daily Progress story reprinted):  http://www.roanoke.com/life/health/mental-health-care-for-children-needs-improvement/article_70d5bf26-be32-501c-8234-7a4f9fc4e986.html#.VIScVed-pvs.facebook 

     NBC29: http://www.nbc29.com/category/175568/video-landing-page?clipId=10919187&topVideoCatNo=82958&autoStart=true

     WINA: 

    Advance interview with Campaign Coordinator,  Ashley Everette: http://wina.com/morning-news/ashley-everett/

    Story from event: http://wina.com/news/064460-forum-held-on-kids-mental-health

     Virginia News Connection

    Advance story with Voices Executive Director, Margaret Nimmo Crowe: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-12-01/mental-health/a-community-conversation-on-children/a43150-1

    With help from our partners in the Charlottesville area, this event served as an important vehicle for keeping children’s mental health issues in the spotlight for legislators and for bringing together the community to discuss  ways to improve the lives of children with mental health challenges.

     In the next few weeks, we will post a report highlighting emerging themes from this forum.  A huge thanks to all of the Charlottesville area residents who attended and our amazing partners in helping us to organize and promote this successful event.

    The Campaign hopes to replicate this type of event in other areas of the state. If you are interested in having an event like this in your locality, please contact campaign coordinator Ashley Everette, ashley@vakids.org.

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  2. Join us for a family media training Oct 21st

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    Do you wish that there were more real stories about what families have to deal with when a child has a mental health challenge? Have you thought about sharing your story to improve the system for kids? Here’s an opportunity for you:

     

    Families and the Media:  What Reporters Are Looking For, and How to Tell Your Story 

    WHAT: A training event for family members of children with mental health challenges to learn from a seasoned media expert: how the media works, what reporters are looking for, and how to tell your story.

    WHEN: Tuesday, October 21st, 2014, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

    WHERE: 2104 West Laburnum Ave., Richmond, VA  

    COST: Free to attend! Space is limited, so please email Ashley@vakids.org to register. We will provide dinner, as well as child care stipends and travel reimbursement if needed.

    WHY: The Campaign for Children’s Mental Health works to spread the word about children’s mental health needs and reduce stigma for the children affected and their families. Part of raising public awareness of children’s mental health issues is to work through the media, helping inform decision makers to change policies that serve our most vulnerable children.

    The Campaign for Children’s Mental Health would like to create a community of voices throughout Virginia we know we can call on when the media is ready to conduct an interview. We know that talking to a reporter can be an intimidating experience, so we want to help you prepare BEFORE we get a call and need your help.

    This training will be led by a seasoned media consultant who will tell you what reporters are looking for and how to share your story succinctly.  As a result, you’ll be able to improve the children’s mental health system by speaking up about your experiences.

    Please register today and feel free to pass along the info to any other families who might be interested.

    Questions? Email Campaign Coordinator, Ashley Everette at Ashley@vakids.org

     

  3. Family Media Training in Fairfax May 14

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    As part of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the Campaign for Children’s Mental Health is teaming up with Fairfax Partnership for Youth to offer a media training for families of children with mental health issues on May 14 in Fairfax. Here’s the scoop:

    Parents and the Media: What Reporters Are Looking For, and How to Tell Your Story

    When:                         Tue, May 14, 2013, 6:30pm-8:30pm

    Where:                       Room 1034, Pennino Building, 12011 Governement Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035

    Who Attends:          Family members of children with mental health challenges

    Free to attend. Dinner will be provided. Please register! (http://www.fairfaxyouth.org)

    The Campaign for Children’s Mental Health works to spread the word about children’s mental health needs and reduce stigma for the children affected and their families. Part of raising public awareness of children’s mental health issues is to work through the media, helping inform decision makers to change policies that serve our most vulnerable children. Reporters always want to talk to families who are affected by children’s mental health issues. We know that can be intimidating, so we want to help you prepare BEFORE we get a call and need your help.

    This training will be led by a seasoned media consultant who will tell you what reporters are looking for and how to share your story succinctly. As a result, you’ll be able to help improve the children’s mental health system by speaking up about your experiences!

    Please register today and feel free to pass along the info to any other families who might be interested.

    Questions? Email margaret@vakids.org.

  4. Rescheduled: Media Training for Families

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    We have rescheduled this training for October 10! Details below.

     Do you wish that there were more real stories about what families have to deal with when a child has a mental health challenge? Have you thought about sharing your story in hopes of improving the system for kids? Here’s an opportunity for you:

    WHAT:

    A training event for family members of children with mental health challenges to learn from a seasoned media expert: how the media works, what reporters are looking for, and how to tell your story.

    WHEN:

    Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 5:00-7:30 p.m.

    WHERE:

    St. Mary’s Hospital Education Center, Room 163, 5801 Bremo Road, Richmond, VA 23226

    COST:

    Free, but you must apply online. Space is limited, so we will let you know if you are selected to attend. We will provide dinner, as well as child care stipends and travel reimbursement if needed. We can also provide a hotel room if you have to travel 2 hours or more to attend.

    WHY:

    The Campaign for Children’s Mental Health works to spread the word about children’s mental health needs and reduce stigma for the children affected and their families. Part of raising public awareness of children’s mental health issues is to work through the media, helping inform decision makers to change policies that serve our most vulnerable children.

    A news story, whether it is on the radio, television, facebook, twitter, or in print, is always enhanced by featuring a person who is directly impacted by the event. The general public, as well as the policy makers we are trying to influence, always remember the stories and faces from these reports more than statistics.

    The Campaign for Children’s Mental Health would like to create a community of voices throughout Virginia we know we can call on when the media is ready to conduct an interview. It might be a sound clip on the evening news, or participating in an hour-long radio show. We are fortunate to have a media specialist willing to provide training for us on effective interviews in a very supportive, non-threatening atmosphere.

    If you are the family member of a child with mental health issues and would like to consider being interviewed by the media about children’s mental health, please apply online to attend this training. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Campaign Coordinator Margaret Nimmo Crowe at margaret@vakids.org or 804-649-0184 ext 23.

    We are looking forward to having you participate!

     

  5. Help for kids in crisis: WMRA’s Virginia Insight

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    What’s it like to try to get help when your child is experiencing a mental health crisis? Will new funding provided by the General Assembly make getting help any easier? Does advocacy by families of children with mental illness make any difference? All these topics were discussed on Thursday, June 8’s edition of WMRA’s Virginia Insight with Tom Graham.

    Listen to hear the conversation with Shannon, the mom of a young boy with mental health disorders, Campaign Coordinator Margaret Nimmo Crowe, and Delegate Dickie Bell, R-Staunton.

     

    Thanks to WMRA for the photo.

  6. “The Quest for Better Children’s Mental Health” on WMRA’s Virginia Insight

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    On Monday, February 20, Campaign Coordinator Margaret Nimmo Crowe joined Tom Graham in the WMRA studio for an hour long show on what’s being done for children’s mental health in the Virginia General Assembly. Additional guests were Charlotte McNulty, former director of Virginia’s Office of Comprehensive Services and new member of Voices’ board of directors, and Cristy Gallagher, mom and advocate from Fairfax.

    You can listen to the show here: http://www.wmra.org/programs/virginia-insight

     

  7. Richmond Times-Dispatch supports crisis services

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    On Saturday, February 4, 2012, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an editorial, “Children’s Mental Health: A needed step,” calling on the General Assembly to fund crisis response services for children with mental health needs. Here is an excerpt:

    “With a price tag of $16.5 million and a constituency that does not swing much political weight, the proposal faces an uphill climb at the State Capitol. But unlike many other causes, it lacks opposition: Nobody can argue against it on principle, and it certainly is not frivolous. The only obstacles are scarcity and indifference. Given the urgency of the issue, they hardly seem sufficient reasons to say no.”

    Thank you, to the Times-Dispatch editorial page, for bringing this issue to the attention of your readers and for acknowledging how important children’s mental health services are. If you agree, you can submit a letter to the editor expressing your view online.