Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day and the Warsaw Bowen Center aims to help spread awareness about the issues that many children face.
According to Tim Nussbaum, Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing at the Warsaw Bowen Center, 1 and 10 children and adolescents have a mental or behavioral illness that are severe enough to significantly impair them. However, only 20 percent of those same children receive treatment.
He explained that many of the mental or behavioral illness that these children deal with are treatable if they are caught early enough.
“The sad piece of it is, is these child developmental issues that happen, they’re very treatable….if you get them in, the success ratio for getting them back on their feet and doing what they do well, being kids and growing up and doing well in school is much higher,” Nussbaum said.
He explained that awareness is a crucial part of getting children the help that they need.
“The big challenge is just getting the parents to acknowledge that they can get out and get some help,” Nussbaum explained. “Awareness is key, you know it brings attention to what is necessary, or helpful, or can make a change, or give somebody at least some hope.”
The Warsaw Bowen Center does several things to help spread knowledge and awareness including school programs, website promotion and participation in community events, said Nussbaum. The most immediate involvement will be with the Fat and Skinny Tire fest next weekend.
For more information, or if you have any questions or concerns about mental health for yourself or someone you love, go to www.bowencenter.org or call (574) 267-7169.
