LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic announced that on Thursday, January 27, 2005, Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General and current interim President of Morehouse School of Medicine, will deliver the keynote address at the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic’s “Because We Care: An Early Intervention Mental Health Services Conference.” This conference will take place at the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center. Dr. Satcher’s keynote address, “Mental Health in Children -- A Health Crisis” will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. and last until 9:30 a.m. Dr. Satcher will be available for media inquiries immediately following his keynote address.
“I am both pleased and honored to be the keynote speaker at this conference,” Dr. Satcher noted. “This important conference will gather together mental health professionals, representatives from local and state government agencies, policy makers, parents and concerned others who understand the high the stakes involved in addressing the mental health needs of children, and that the treatment of mental disorders should be a major public health goal.”
In addition to Dr. Satcher, Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and nationally prominent author Bebe Moore Campbell will be speaking over lunch.
“Intervening early in a child’s life can prevent future emotional and behavioral problems, as well as greatly increase a child’s school readiness, yet many families find themselves with little guidance or support during these critical years of early childhood; and training in early interventions is often limited or not easily accessible for mental health and child care providers. Therefore, I am especially pleased to join with our 12 local, state and national co-sponsoring organizations to bring key leaders in the filed of early intervention mental health services together for this one-day training forum,” said Elizabeth Pfromm, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic.
About the Because We Care Conference
Purpose: The conference will serve as a training and learning forum, increasing participants understanding, knowledge and skills as they relate to evidenced-based early intervention approaches, models, treatment strategies and best-practices, enabling them to help improve children’s social and emotional development, as well as their functioning levels at home and in school. There will be 25 presentations, 17 presenters and approximately 600 attendees.
Co-Sponsors: Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke, California Department of Development Services, California Department of Mental Health, Child & Family Guidance Center, LAUSD/Early Childhood Education Division, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Mental Health Association of California, National Mental Health Association, Pacific Clinics, West-Ed and ZERO TO THREE.
Underwriters: Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, The California Endowment, The Atlas Family Foundation and California Children and Families Commission.
Target Audience: Mental health professionals, child care and Head Start workers, social workers, child advocates, nurses, educators, psychiatrists, policy makers, pediatricians and parents.
About The Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic
The Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, the lead sponsor of the event, is a well-respected provider of clinically sound and culturally competent mental health services, serving the communities of Central and South Los Angeles for over 80 years. In particular, the Clinic is recognized for its expertise in treating children under the age of five; and over the past 15 years has developed a continuum of model programs that are based on accepted best practices in the filed of mental health. Guided by a commitment to ensure easy access and promote early intervention, last year 5,300 children and their families benefited from Clinic services. Additional information is available at http://www.lacgc.org/
Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic
CONTACT: Adrienne Levey, +1-323-829-8406, for Los Angeles Child GuidanceClinic
Web site: http://www.lacgc.org/