Portland State Magazine Winter 1991

• • • and Rehabilitation Research ( !DRR) and the National In stitute of Mental Health (NIMH). It s purpose is to conduct research , to develop appropriate training and curriculum and to serve as a national resource center. The RTC began at ground zero to build a data base of published literature and resources dealing with services for families whose children have mental health problems. Completing three major projects in its first five years, the RTC again received funding ($3.5 million) in 1989 from !DRR and NIMH to continue its research through 1994. "We' ve made so much progress," says Friesen. "We started with basical ly nothing. No compiled literature, no organized research, no rea l assessment of the problems that fami lies face." The Center builds its projects around a phi losophy that encourages fam ilies to become more in vo lved in all aspects of service deli very. It addresses a range of fami ly needs from _homemaker serv ice and respite care to fin ancial ass istance and parent education and advocacy. "One of the most important things we've done is to heigh ten the awareness of the pli ght of the families," says Friesen. " Emotiona l di sorders affect the whole family . Any program for the child must also address the needs of the famil y. That is why our programs are based on the philosophy that improvements to the service system must be family-centered, offered in the community when poss ible and culturall y appropriate." An outgrowth of the Center's work has been the development of a national fami ly support and advocacy organi zation- the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. Parent Stories The following comments are reprinted from the "Parents' Perspective Column" which appears in Focal Point, the Research and Training Center's newsletter. I called the hospital back three times after his release to say that I was very frightened of his continued depression. I was told to leave him alone, he was fine and just doing his thing. He killed himself four days after my third call, within a week of his release. The most helpful thing a professional every said to me was, "It's not your fault! You are not powerful.enough to have caused the kinds of problems your child has." PSU 7