Members of the Connecticut Homeschool Network are concerned about the recently-announced Connecticut Children’s Behavioral Health Plan (CCBHP). As a centrist Democrat, I sometimes feel out of step with my fellow homeschoolers. For example, I am supportive of the Common Core. Likewise, I support many of the goals of the CCBHP. However, I think my fellow homeschoolers raise legitimate concerns about the CCBHP. Specifically, the plan says, “All children will receive age-appropriate periodic standardized screening for developmental and behavioral concerns as part of a comprehensive system for screening, and assessment, and referral for services.” This goal, however well-intentioned, is problematic in several respects. First, this goal strikes me as intrusive and overreaching. Personally, I think it’s a good idea for mental health assessments to be available. Certainly, screenings and other mental health services could prove invaluable to parents with troubled children. But the CCBHP makes mental health screenings mandatory for every child in the state. There is no provision for opting out, even though the vast majority of children will never need treatment for behavioral or developmental problems. Second, authors of the CCBHP seem to envision that mandatory screenings will take place in the public schools. After several years of experience in Region 6 Schools, I must question whether any public school could constitute and environment conducive to effective mental health screening. My children, one of whom is mildly dyslexic, attended Goshen Center School for four years. Even though my childs dyslexia was readily apparent, the “screeners” in Region 6 consistently failed (or refused) to recognize it. Would screeners in the public schools be any more effective at recognizing latent developmental and behavioral problems? I doubt it. Third, I can understand why social workers who authored the CCBHP would recommend mandatory and universal mental health screenings. Social workers would have a field day providing so much superfluous service at considerable taxpayer expense. If the legislature enacts what is envisioned by the CCBHP, they might as well call it “The Connecticut Social Workers’ Full-Employment Act.”
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 22:19:08 +0000
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