Having a Bad Day or Many in Forest Park

Every time I see phrases like Healthy minds, bodies and souls referring to something about public school oversight (let alone the Illinois Childrens' Mental Health Act), it makes me shudder.

This was sent along from the Forest Park Review . Read and weep.

As we enjoy the holidays, we have more time at home with our children to observe their mental and physical activities.

Apparently it's come to the Time where parents observe their kids' mental and physical activities as opposed to say.....Living and Loving

During these holiday breaks our homes and communities experience more of student’s antisocial behavior. Student’s disruptive behaviors in the home, school, and community may include temper tantrums, cursing, bullying, fighting, disrespect for authority, conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity, depression, and other behaviors that severely disrupt student’s daily functioning and adversely affect their academic, social, and emotional learning.
Our happy holidays can be painful for students with social, emotional, and physical issues that are increased by memories of negative experiences every day and especially during the holidays.

Wow! I couldn't resist looking up this author's name after wondering where in the world she was coming from.
Apparently she had run for the Proviso High School District School Board last spring. She lost. And after reading this, her latest column, the families in that school district should be grateful for that loss in respect to their mental health. But as an aside, there appears to be some nasty stuff happening with that school district so maybe that's where all her personal angst and litany about students' behavior at home came from. (With the usual grumble of being tired of hearing abuse stories as related to homeschooling.)

At any rate, what she pointed out as the symptoms and solution is typical of the mindset and the Plan of the proponents of mental health screening for all children and families. What she states below is true and in line with the grant money from the feds:

The CMH Act requires the development of a coordinated system of mental health services for students ages 0-18 and youth ages 19-21. The Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP) developed a preliminary strategic plan on September 30, 2004 that provides short and long term recommendations for prevention, intervention, and treatment. A partnership between the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Public Aid (DPA) and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has developed a statewide system of screening, assessment and support services (SASS) for children, including adolescents, experiencing a mental health crisis.

And what she emphasizes is crucial to these people: assist to improve classroom management, student discipline, school safety, and school climate and culture among other institutional habits. How homeschoolers will fit into this is the big question. Particularly considering the general mindset of public school officials, the involvement of primary care providers in the screening and the assumptions about the 'socialization' of homeschooled kids.