One out of every five children has a mental health problem that can be diagnosed from birth to 18 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ten percent have problems serious enough to affect them at school, home or in the community.
However, it's not always easy to get these children the help they need.
State Representative Katie Dempsey heads the House Study Committee on Children's Mental Health. The study committee hopes, by hearing from parents and advocates, to close gaps in mental health services, especially as children transition to adulthood.
Dempsey says the goal of the committee, created by House Resolution 641, is to craft a document that covers all their discoveries for addressing children's mental health.
Yesterday, the committee heard from five speakers on the issue in the second of four meetings. Much of the focus was the need to close gaps in insurance coverage, as children lose Medicaid benefits once they hit 19 years.
For children suffering from mental illness, the signs can start early.
"Referrals come from our teachers who spend a majority of the time with the students in the classrooms. Sometimes their friends will come to us to tell us their friend is having problems," said Dr. Diana Hess, a counselor at Grovetown Middle School.
She has been a school counselor for almost 20 years, and a private practice counselor for longer.
"We still tend to believe mental health care is taboo, and it is unspoken," she said.
In a world with a stigma, getting the right help can be hard, especially when a child is transitioning to an adult.
"For children who have Medicaid or Peachcare, there's a lot of opportunities for children to receive healthcare," said Hess, "But once they reach 19, a lot of those doors shut."
Ann Lewis, now President of Augusta's chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has fought her own personal battles.
"Without treatment, we're suffering. And I believe living with mental illness means we're doing whatever it takes to get better," she said.
Luckily, she was able to get the right treatment, including counseling, medication and support.
"When they focused on the best in me, and they had high expectations of me, I was able to rise to those expectations," Lewis recalled.
Now, she is paying it forward by helping others and educating the public.
"If you see an individual going through some changes, it's better to talk and say, hey, let's go together and seek treatment," Lewis said, "Instead of waiting until something happens and say, oh he was dealing with mental illness, but wasn't getting the treatment."
The study committee will have two more meetings in Atlanta, with the next one on November 9.
The Georgia Crisis and Access Line ResourceBase is 1-800-715-4225.
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