|
|
|
       |
 |
Dear Colleague, When I held the very first community-based depression screening, I didn’t imagine its potential. Staff consisted of my assistant, my wife (who is a social worker), and myself. The hospital placed one small story in a local Massachusetts newspaper and over 90 people responded. I screened each person individually. As I look back on a decade of mental health screening I feel proud of what has been accomplished; but there is still more work to be done. Our staff-which has grow to twelve-works nationally with key health care organizations to extend screening availability. By teaming with professionals and forming liaisons with hospitals, mental health centers, private practitioners, and colleges, we have screened over half a million people in our first ten years. Our goals then are the same ones that guide us today: calling attention to the prevalence of depression in our society; educating people to its signs and symptoms as well as to the availability of effective treatments; and connecting those in need to the mental health care system. This year we introduce a depression screening tailored to adolescents and high schools as well as a new suicide intervention strategy called SOS: Signs of Suicide. Information on this new educational component is included in the registration bulletin.
After ten years of screening, we now collaborate with over 3,000 community and college-based screening sites. To date, more than 200,000 people have received professional help as a direct result of their screening. And, most importantly, because of this effort, they have an opportunity for improved quality of life that they may not otherwise have had. We haven’t achieved this success single-handedly. The initial endorsement of National Depression Screening Day by the American Psychiatric Association ten years ago was of crucial importance. In addition to our sponsors and supporters, each and every screening site plays a key role in the success of the program. As always, I want you to know that my staff and I wish to thank all of the people and organizations that have worked with us to provide depression screening outreach and education nationwide. We look forward to your participation in 2000. Sincerely,
Supporters:
Major
Funders: |
||||||
|
Alcohol
• Anxiety • Depression Home
• Awards • Donate |
||||||||
