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Press Release

August, 2003
Contact: Jeffpatterson@mail.utexas.edu

Youth Mental Health Crisis Topic of UT-Austin Journalism Seminar

AUSTIN— Concern about a growing crisis in youth mental health services and its effects on Texas communities will be the topic of a journalists’ seminar hosted by The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Hogg Foundation for Mental Health on Oct. 12-13.

No One’s Priority: What Reporters Should Know About Youth Mental Health Services in Texas seeks to broaden reporters’ knowledge about emotional disturbances in youth and to draw attention to how changes in public services and policies are affecting local communities, said Lorraine Branham, director of the UT School of Journalism.

"Successive state budget cuts and a growing population have led officials to estimate that only a fraction of Texas’ 420,000 youths with a severe emotional disturbance are receiving treatment," said Jeff Patterson, communications director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. "As a result, a number of these youth either deteriorate into crisis, end up in jail, or both."

"Children suffering from a mental illness face serious problems at home and at school and are at a much higher risk of violent behavior, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and juvenile delinquency," Patterson said. "Local communities—schools, hospitals, police departments, juvenile courts, and churches—are struggling to pick up the slack with limited resources."

Branham predicts that journalists will increasingly confront these issues in their reporting, whether they cover schools, health care, local government, or the police beat. As such, the seminar is designed to improve reporters’ understanding of the causes and symptoms of mental illness, as well as the challenges facing different local agencies and governments.

Seminar participants will receive current information on the state of children’s mental health services in Texas, learn of the implications of sweeping changes enacted by the recent Texas Legislature, and find out what needs and opportunities exist in their communities. Reporters also will discover the best ways to access resources, how to convey the complexities of mental illness in a clear and concise manner, and identify local stories that are both interesting and informative.
To facilitate participation, individual fellowships of up to $200 will be awarded by Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to eligible participants to offset travel expenses. Hotel accommodations also will be provided for Sunday night, Oct 12. The application deadline for the seminar is September 15, 2003.

For more information about the seminars, contact The University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism at 512-471-1845 or the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at 512-471-5041. Further information and application materials are available on the web at www.hogg.utexas.edu/jseminar.