Treatment they need

I would like to commend Chad Day and the Democrat- Gazette for the in- depth look at the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center. The report reminds us as a community that mental illness among adolescents is a major concern. We can only hope that our governor and Legislature will recognize this and take meaningful action to address the issue in an effective way.

The most disturbing part of the article was Mr. Marcus Devine’s acknowledgement that the Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center continues to receive youth that really shouldn’t be there. This is unacceptable.

We know that behavioral and mental conditions can often be helped through proper interventions. Our organization is driven by the strong belief that every person has value and potential. We regularly receive communication from former patients who have overcome these issues and now have families and productive jobs. They are making a meaningful contribution to their communities instead of deteriorating in an institutional setting.

In the ongoing debate around the private option, we hear a lot of political rhetoric about not wanting to pass financial debt to our children and grandchildren. We know that appropriate help for those with mental and behavioral issues is far less expensive than institutionalizing those individuals for life. Failure to provide them proper treatment will not only leave a greater financial debt, but a social one as well. We can do better! DAVID NAPIER

Little Rock David Napier is chief executive officer of Youth Home Inc./ Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas.