KQED’s ‘Health Dialogues’ Program to Examine Mental Health Care for Juvenile Offenders
KQED's "Health Dialogues," a live, monthly call-in program sponsored by the California Endowment to examine health care issues in the state, tonight will address the issue of mental health care for incarcerated juveniles. Studies have found that more than half of incarcerated juveniles nationwide have mental health problems, about one-third have attempted suicide and one in 13 take psychotropic medication. However, in California, incarcerated juveniles with mental illness "rarely get the treatment they need" because state detention facilities do not have proper resources or trained staff. In addition, the state has few mental health programs for children that will accept juvenile offenders with a history of violence. "Health Dialogues" will examine the "history and impact" of several legislative proposals to address the problem, including a bill that would provide $50 million to counties to develop plans for mental health treatment programs for children before, during and after incarceration. Guests on tonight's program include Marta Diaz, juvenile court judge of San Mateo County; Jack Wallace, administrator for mental health of the California Youth Authority; Bill Burke, chief probation officer in Humboldt County; and David Arredondo, director of SOLOMON, a not-for-profit organization that provides free psychiatric consultation to the Juvenile and Family Court Judiciary. The program will air at 7 p.m. PT. Check local radio listings for availability. The program will be available online in RealPlayer Audio within one day of the broadcast (KQED, "Health Dialogues" release, 7/9).
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