Portland State Magazine Winter 1991

• • find trained caretakers for their children with emotional disorders. So difficult in fact that many parents have spent no time away from their children for long periods of time- up to 10 years. "The result is physical and emotional bum out," says Friesen. " Research shows that respite care is important to the well-being of the family. It is in strumental in reducing family stress, preventing abuse and neglect and avoiding placement in institutions. It ' s definitely not a luxury." The CASSP programs in Oklahoma and Kansas then developed model training programs and curriculum for respite caretakers. At the same time, PSU ' s Research and Training Center reviewed literature on respite care programs around the nation . The result was a paper describing a model respite care program, including an annotated bibliography. The Research and Training Center's newsletter, Focal Point, which is distributed nationall y, carried articl es and information on the topic. In addition , a national conference for parents and professionals was organized that focused on the issue of respite care. Child custody is another arena where parents are providing valuable input and acting as advocates. In many states, parents must go to court , declare themselves unfit, and give up custody of their ch ildren in order to make them eligible for out-of-home placements. Through parent advocacy, these laws are being challenged. While the Research and Training Center's scope is national , it is actively involved in mental health issues on the state and local level as well. A recent Partners P~oject located in the Multnomah County Department of Human Services is an example. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the state Mental Health and Developmental Disability Services Division (MHDDSD), the project pools mental health, child welfare and education agency funds for both traditional mental health serv ices and for non-traditional interventions such as music or art lessons, after-school programs, adult companionship for community activities and respite care. Friesen and other RTC staff worked with state and county personnel during the application process and in the development of evaluation plans. Friesen also serves on the state Mental Health Advisory Board and on the Assembly for Children's Mental Health Interests (ACMHI), the advisory comm ittee for the state Office of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in the MHDDSD. "The Center has made a good start," says Friesen. "We are excited about continuing our mission of improving services to these children and their fam ilies." O (Chris Normandin, a free-lance public relations writer in Portland, is a regular contributor to PSU Maga zine.) RTC Services The Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health serves as a resource center for families of children with serious emotional disorders, as well as professionals, policymakers and other interested persons. The Center's Clearinghouse offers: • a national , toll-free telephone service • a computerized data bank • a series of information sheets on issues pertaining to children who have emotional disabilities and their families • a state-by-state resource file • a family resource coordinator. The computer data bank is organized by state and designed to link callers with state and local resources. Written sheets offer introductory information on various topics and list resources for obtaining more information. The infonnation sheets address such topics as children's mental, emotional and behavioral disabilities; books, journals, newsletters and films that cover children's mental health issues; starting parent/family support groups; financing services; early intervention; and descriptions of specific children's emotional disabilities including childhood depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and childhood schizophrenia. The Clearinghouse operates from 8 a.m. to noon (PST), Monday through Friday. During other hours, callers may leave their names, addresses, telephone numbers and inquiries on an answering machine. To contact the Clearinghouse write: National Clearinghouse on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland State University, P.O. Box 75 l , Portland, Oregon 97207-0751 or call toll-free (800) 628-1696. 0 PSU 9