I work tirelessly now on behalf of all the 'little Wendys' out there who are not so fortunate to have had angels cross their path and lift them to a higher level. I am a graduate student at the University of Washington's School of Public Health. My research area focuses on mental health disparities in our country's youth-- particularly children who have been exposed to abuse and neglect. How is it that we can afford to send young children to prison, but we can't get them the mental health care within the community so that they can go on to lead productive lives? This is one of the many tough questions I plan to tackle as I continue research that I hope will impact public policy.
In the course of my work over the past ten years, I have been humbled by the children whom I have been able to reach. Yet it is those children who cower in the night, whose pleadings go unheard that inspire me to continue this fight.
I plan to chronicle my work over the next 18-months as I embark on thesis research that I hope will help inform public policy so that we can increase mental health services to these children. My personal goal for these children is that they too may one day become researchers, lawyers, doctors, mothers, fathers... in short anyone they want to be, because we would have invested in their futures by taking care of their present needs.
What is early intervention and does it work? I can tell you from personal experience it does... intervention early & often. But it may surprise you that you don't have to have a PhD to save a child.. in my case it was two sets of incredible grandparents. For some children it is intensive therapeutic daycare, for others it's a safe place to sleep at night. The point is, early intervention (or EI) can make a difference and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. It merely requires commitment...
Stay tuned.
Wendy
way to go Wendy. I appreciate your work as a coach (though I may be slacking to do a half marathon instead) and mission with mental health disparities. As I am working on childhood obesity (downstream) it seems that more and more it is about the social determinents of health that impact us (and our kids). So that means that larger scale government reform, economic policy and the changes in the justice system are needed for health. You are where you live and we need to make healthier communites to get healthier kids. If every kid could get attention and love - so many lives would change. Thanks again for your work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support Mark. You get it... until we address/acknowledge the social detriments of health we cannot begin to address the resulting disparities. Keep up the efforts on childhood obesity because it too is a symptom of a very sick nation. (As for the marathon training... you're forgiven for 'slacking' a bit... after all you do have a marathon under your belt for 2009-2010!)
ReplyDelete