Lawmaker tries to block mental-health screening

Lawmaker tries to block mental-health screening
Rep. Paul offers language to require parental consent for evaluating kids

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Posted: November 18, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern

� 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is making a final attempt this week to lessen the impact of a new program that calls for all the nation's children to be screened for mental-health problems, offering language to the federal omnibus spending bill that would require parental consent before such testing could be done.

As WorldNetDaily reported, in September Paul attempted to have the program removed from Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act. His amendment failed the House of Representatives by a vote of 95-315.

This week, Paul offered the following language to the omnibus bill:

"None of the funds made available for State Incentive Grants for Transformation should be used for any programs of mandatory or universal mental-health screening that performs mental-health screening on anyone under 18 years of age without the express, written permission of the parents or legal guardians of each individual involved."

FULL STORY: www.worldnetdaily.com...

Someone help me out here. Why is the government stepping in and requiring that this action be taken? IMO, it's none of the goverment's business whether a kid is depressed or not. It's the responsibility of the parent.

Weird story!! I haven't a clue. Maybe the government is doing some kind of study on the rise in juvenile depression. A lot of parents don't even recognize the signs of depression. Just throwing that out there.

Peace

Because the gov't and big pharaceutical companies are in bed together.

Thus mandatory screenings = more kids diagnosed with a disorder=more drugs prescribed=$$$

The study behind this idea can be found here....

www.mentalhealthcommission.gov...


What I want to know is well, they foce kids....and pregnant moms by the way to have all this crap, but well, who's gonna pay for it with so many uninsured. Instead of worrying about crap like this, why don't they worry about doing something about the runaway healthcare costs....since it is preventing some of us from getting needed healthcare for more serious problems, and well, that right there could cause some mental health abnormalities!!

It's a little late, but you still have time to contact your Senator to urge them to vote for the amended language put forth by Rep. Paul. There is a link in the article mrmulder's post refers to.

Hopefully your Senator will read his/her email over morning coffee.

Originally posted by Leespitfire
Because the gov't and big pharmaceutical companies are in bed together.

Thus mandatory screenings = more kids diagnosed with a disorder=more drugs prescribed=$$$

Spot on.

Diagnose 10% of the population needing very expensive prescription drugs, and you are talking some very serious money.

Originally posted by Dr Love
Weird story!! I haven't a clue. Maybe the government is doing some kind of study on the rise in juvenile depression. A lot of parents don't even recognize the signs of depression. Just throwing that out there.

Peace

This is the conclusion I've come to as well. I've read several articles about suicidal kids who were popular and had everything a kid would want. It is difficult to find out if a kid is depressed or not, unless they frown a lot or show signs of being sad. However, I've seen most kids bottle up the emotions. Believe me, I've seen the venting going on online and I've seen some of my own friends break down crying because of something huge like their parents blaming their children for a car accident.

Call me crazy (no pun intended), but I like this idea. Too many depressed kids need help, but give up looking for it because they think no one cares and end up committing suicide. I know it may be only to benefit the companies who make Prozac, but it's needed.

Originally posted by Otto_States


This is the conclusion I've come to as well. I've read several articles about suicidal kids who were popular and had everything a kid would want. It is difficult to find out if a kid is depressed or not, unless they frown a lot or show signs of being sad.

An unknown number of teens who hang themselves to death are actually engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation. They get explained as suicides for obvious reasons.

NO ONE!!!
ESPECIALLY THE FEDERAL GOVT. HAS A RIGHT TO TELL PARENTS HOW TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN.
Local Govts. who control the school districts, may have some input. Since the schools see the child for who they are. A blanket ruling is WRONG!!!
Just because children are full of energy and over active is not the reason to use drugs on them. I know a child who, some may describe as overactive. Well that child is in some ways, smarter than me. A full grown adult of 32. That doesn't mean that child has Attention Deficit Disorder...It means the child is smart and deserves to be treated as so. Just because schools play to the lowest common denominator, doesn't mean we should punish the smart kids. In fact we should encourage them. After all, they are our future. Personally I don't want to live in a world, ruled by the lowest common denominator. Is every child the same, NO! But the exceptional, should be given the resources to prove/better themselves. With NO POLITICS INVOLVED!!!!!!!

They most certainly have given themselves the legal right to do as they wish with your children.

If you spank your child, or carry out mental abuse, by refusing say a child's favourite toy as punishment, you can be charged. On the other hand if you fail to discipline your child, that is neglect.

A Judge can rule you an unfit parent and remove your child to safe care. If sexual abuse is even suspected, same thing.

Children now belong to the state, not the parents.

This bill is honestly the creepiest thing I have ever heard of happening in the US government. Unmitigated government access to your kids, pushed through by the same people who sell themselves as being for less government affairs in people's lives. Trying to enforce this law, if it gets through, is going to cause violence.

Violence ?

If you object, they will send a SWAT squad around and shoot you. Troublemakers that think their kids belong within the family must be made an example of.

There will be violence all right. Lots of parents shot, tear gassed, and imprisoned.

I wrote to my US Senators regarding this issue, and here is the response I received via US mail from one of them:

"On September 15, 2004, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-ED) Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 passed out of the Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee. This legislation includes $10.5 million for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health program. This funding would be used to carry out a competitive grant program designed to promote school-wide mental health strategies. Specifically, funding would be used to train elementary and secondary school personnel to be familiar with early warning signs of mental illness. Funds would also be used to increase student access to high-quality mental health services. However, I am not familiar with a specific proposal to perform universal mental health screenings in our nation's schools."

So in effect, there are no plans for mandatory screenings. Just thougt I'd update you all.

Tell you what, I like Ron Paul. Too bad he's in Texas and not Ohio.

I used to suffer from depression. I've been on antidepressants--and they made me feel worse.

I did two things that helped: became a Christian and changed my diet. Take out a lot of sugar, and depression goes bye-bye. My husband even notices that when I'm on a low-carb diet, I have fewer mood swings if any.

Treat the cause and not the symptom.

I took myself off the antidepressants. They made me feel like an emotionless zombie.

I've been med-free for over 2 years and no problem!