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$6.6M Grant
to Help Kids with Mental Disabilities
Tom Lambert, Lansing State Journal, November 30, 2005
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Each morning,
Malisa Pearson wonders what struggles the day may hold for her
10-year-old son Austin, who is afflicted with a severe bipolar
disorder.
The Lansing parent has admitted her son to a hospital nearly a
dozen times since his fifth birthday because of the disorder,
which is marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and
behavior.
Unfortunately, the single mother's story is similar to many
other parents in Ingham County.
But with the help of a $6.6 million federal grant to help
hundreds of Ingham County children suffering from severe mental
disabilities, Pearson has hope that her son can more easily
overcome those struggles.
"It requires an extremely high level of support to raise these
children," Pearson said.
"It's about building a system in our home instead of having to
put him in a hospital.
"I want him to have a chance at being successful in life."
The Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Community Mental Health Authority
received one of 25 grants awarded nationwide.
The grant is expected to help the agency increase the children
that it treats for mental disabilities from 350 a year to 475 by
2011, when the grant expires.
"We are only able to help those most at risk in our county right
now," said Robert Sheehan, executive director of the authority,
during a community presentation on the grant at the Lansing
Center.
"Our goal is to help as many kids in the county as we can in the
future."
On any given day in Ingham County, more than 100 children stay
in detention centers, hospitals or residential treatment
centers, CMHA officials said.
"We expect this grant will allow us to help more children stay
in their home and their community," Sheehan said.
The agency will partner with several other groups during the
next year to determine the best use for the money, which will be
distributed in annual installments.
Some preliminary ideas include hiring more staff at the
authority and developing new youth services including a
therapeutic group home, intensive day treatment, and 24-hour
emergency assessment and crisis outreach, officials said.
"Where do we need to be innovative, and where do we need to
improve in helping children?" said Susan Hall, director of
Ingham County's Department of Human Services.
"To me, no kid should get thrown away."
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