The Advocacy Institute for Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Funds donated to The Campaign for America's Kids will go towards AACAP's Advocacy Institute for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. There will be three distinct centers to the Institute:

Government Affairs - to give a voice to the issues influencing children and families affected by mental illnesses. Government officials at all levels will be educated on important topics such as: the need to support scientific research; the shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists available to address the current crisis; and the importance of health insurance parity for ensuring that young people with psychiatric disorders receive proper treatment.

School Mental Health Services - to educate and empower teachers who are on the "front line" to better understand mental illnesses. Early detection can decrease suffering while improving the long-term effectiveness of treatment. The key is to increase understanding of what is normal, what is not and when and where to seek help.

Public Information Center - to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illnesses so that parents and kids feel free to get the professional care they need. Lifting the shroud of ignorance and fear can serve to educate the public on the fact that, like other physical disorders and diseases, mental illnesses are identifiable and treatable.

A task of this magnitude can only be accomplished when all of us in the community band together to make a difference. Joining The Campaign for America's Kids is one way we can all impact an issue that is so critical to the well being of our single greatest resource - the next generation of kids.