Mental Health and Juvenile Justice:
The Need for RPS to Expand Services for Richmond’s Emotionally Disturbed Children

Dear Richmond Citizens: 
          Please plan to attend the Richmond School Board meeting on Monday 7, 2007 and let the Richmond School Board know that we need to do more for Richmond’s children who suffer from mental illnesses. 
          As we all try to comprehend the tragedy at Virginia Tech and how a student with a history of mental illness could do something so heinous, that we pause a moment to reflect on what it is we can—and must—do as policy makers to improve the well-being of Richmond’s children with mental illness.  Hopefully, together we can make some decisions that will help avert future tragedies and inspire other school divisions to do the same. . 
          Rather than rush forward with an attempt to wedge the 13 Acres and REAL School programs for children with emotional disturbances into Clarke Springs Elementary School and Henderson Middle School, I ask that we first consider some of the programmatic challenges of educating children with mental illness.  I also ask that you realize that far, far too many of our children never get the help they need.  The statistics—both nationally and locally—are staggering and shameful. 
Once we have reviewed this material, I hope that you will join me in asking Dr. Sherman and her administration not only to place both 13 Acres and REAL School in the Maymont Elementary building where the programs can expand, but also to request that they develop a plan for treating our children once they reach high school students with emotional disturbances.  As of today, no comprehensive program exists for children beyond middle school and I know we can all agree that far too many of our children are winding up incarcerated or dead.  I thank you for your time and consideration of this request.       

Post Your Comments: