Kuam Article, February 19,
2013
"This is
bring awareness to the community, that we have needs in the community and
children shouldn't be forgotten," stated I-Famagu'on-Ta administrator
Annie Unpingco. She says with recent tragic events, it's important to bring all
the government child-serving agencies together to aid in the multiple and
changing needs of children and their families. Today with several government
agencies announced the expansion of the strategic four-year plan of the Guam
Systems of Care. "It's bringing all the agencies together and wrapping
services around the child and the family," she added.
The plan
involves five major strategies including implementing regulatory changes and
system-wide care standards and protocols, developing and supporting a home and
community-based system of care, attaining sustainable funding, providing
training and promoting workforce development and implementing an anti-stigma social
marketing campaign.
Lieutenant
Governor Ray Tenorio stated ultimately the goal is to help people at a young
age and help them progress in life while they confront it. "To be able to
guide their frustration, their anger, their shortcomings or just the state of
their physical or mental faculties in a way that doesn't destroy other people's
lives, and that's what we're here trying to accomplish," he said.
And with
that, Tenorio swore-in four members into the Guam Systems of Care Council,
including Committee on Health chair Senator Dennis Rodriguez, Jr., who said
especially in light of recent tragedies on island, looks forward to helping put
together a comprehensive plan of action to deal with the behavioral needs of
our people, especially our children.
"So I
guess for my part in the Legislature is to listen to these professionals and
see what needs to be done on the legislative side to implement the plan of
action that they presented today," he said.
Unpingco
added that 51 family members and 49 agencies make of Guam 's
System of Care including Guam Police Department, Public Health, Department of
Education, Judiciary of Guam, DISID and Mental Health, all of whom were present
today and committed to support the vision of opportunities for all children
from birth to 21 with mental health challenges.
Mental
Health's director, Rey Vega, was selected as the executive committee for
systems of care chairperson. Unpingco hopes to hold its first meeting in Mar ch and work collaboratively and ultimately break
the stigma of mental illness. "Everyone has emotions," he explained.
"Mental Health should be like any health, and if you get help for having a
toothache and a stomach pain why not a heartache."
Unpingco
hopes to hold quarterly meetings with the first possibly in Mar ch.
