Mental Health, Medication, and Mayhem

Heart-wrenching conversations I never thought I’d see are taking place right now about young people and mental health care. Parents are terrified that newly confirmed Robert Kennedy Secretary of Health and Human Services will make good on his threats to strip doctors of the ability to prescribe medications for depression, anxiety - - even those for ADHD. Yet again we see an insistence to interfere with doctor-patient relationships and the desire to prevent parents from doing what they know is best for their children.

Almost beyond belief are Kennedy’s proposals to send these young people to so called “wellness farms” in lieu of allowing them to be supported by medically vetted and time tested treatments.

With these conversations on my mind it’s not surprising that this post on Instagram caught my eye.

Howard County Association of Student Councils is hosting a Mental Health Panel event in collaboration with Nourish Teens at the Elkridge Branch Library in February 22nd from 3:30 - 5:30 pm.

If you are interested in mental health and psychology, come to the HSI mental health panel to learn from professionals and pre-med students and ask questions! If you cannot attend in-person, there is an online option. Snacks and service hours are provided.

From the Library Events page:

Nourish Teens: Teens Teach Self Care Fair

Hockley Room, Elkridge Branch

Saturday, February 22, 2025

3:30pm - 5:30pm

Program Type: Community Events, Health & Wellness

Age Group: Teens

Registration for this event will close on February 22, 2025 @ 3:30pm.

Program Description:

Teens develop leadership, teaching, and interpersonal skills while making a meaningful contribution to their community. Gain access to engaging, age-appropriate lessons that inspire curiosity and promote healthy habits.

Nourish Teens is a Teens Teach program, developed, planned, and presented by community teens.

A shout out to Board of Education member Jolene Mosley who shared this information on Instagram. Her posts have consistently alerted me to local education-related issues and happenings.

You must pre-register. Here is the library’s registration form. But HCASC also has their own registration form and they are not identical. The latter is more comprehensive so I’d use that one. Please note that there is a remote option in case teens can’t make it in person.

This program was probably planned before the current challenges to teen mental health care by Kennedy. I hope there will be accommodations made to address young people’s concerns on that topic.

Do you have concerns about how these proposals could impact young people in Howard County? Let me know.

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