New state commission on children’s mental health could have wide-ranging positive impact

In June, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal created a Commission on Children’s Mental Health, which met for the first time in July. More than addressing identified needs for children with mental health challenges, this initiative has the potential to impact one of the governor’s other key issues, criminal justice reform.

Over the past several ye a r s Geor gi a ha s emerged as a national leader in criminal justice reform, thanks in large part to Governor Deal’s leadership. The idea behind criminal justice reform is that when an individual commits a crime because of mental illness or addictive disease, that person is better served by receiving treatment instead of being locked up.

As a result, drug courts, mental health courts and accountability courts have proliferated i n Georgia. Such courts help people access needed treatment services and, by doing so, reduce the risk they might reoffend due to mental illness or addiction. Access to mental health treatment also helps link people with other services they may need to live independently.

But what does a children’s mental health commission have to do with criminal justice reform? Quite a bit actually. One in four people develop a mental illness in his or her lifetime, and half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. Further, children with mental illness are more likely to receive lower grades, miss more school and drop out altogether.

While predicting what factors might ultimately lead to criminal behavior is complex, we know that approximately one-third, and by some estimates up to one-half, of individuals who are incarcerated have mental illness – a rate that is substantially higher than the population as a whole.

In other words, if we are able to intervene further “upstream,” if we can ensure children have access to the mental health services they need while they are young, we may be able to reduce the number of people with mental illness or addiction who end up incarcerated in the first place. That would be an unprecedented type of criminal justice reform.

Ensuring Georgia’s children have access to af- where his billets included Operations Officer, Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Executive Officer. In January 2005, he deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF). In June 2006, deployed to Al Asad Air Base in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). In March 2007, Col. Benton reported to MAG-14 HQ in order to assume the duties as the MAG-14 Operations Officer.

In July 2008, Col. Benton reported to MCB Quantico, Va., to serve on the staff of the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration (DC, CD and I). His primary responsibility consisted of performing the function of USMC service lead to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC)directed Electronic Warfare Functional Solutions Analysis ( EW FSA).

Upon assuming command of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 (VMAQ-4) in July 2010, Col. Benton completed the acceptance of the Marine Corps’ first Improved Capabilities III (ICAP III) EA-6B Prowler, which included fordable, quality mental health services is the purpose of the Commission on Children’s Mental Health. According to the governor’s office, the commission will work to help ensure our youngest patients receive t he treatment necessary to help them grow up as healthy and productive members of society.

The commission is modeled after several successful interagency collaborations, including the First Lady’s Children’s Cabinet, the Child Welfare Reform Council and the Criminal Justice Reform Council. It could also build on the work of the General Assembly’s recent Study Committee on Children’s Mental Health. Clearly, Georgia’s leaders consider children’s mental health to be a priority and have undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the system.

The new commission brings together the leaders of the agencies that have the most impact on children’s mental health, including co-chairs Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and Katie Childers, the governor’s deputy chief of staff of policy.

Other members include the addition of a significant avionics upgrade in the form of Link-16 capabilities.

VMAQ-4 spearheaded the development of new Electronic Warfare Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (EW TTPs) utilizing Link-16. These new TTPs were successfully tested and refined during the squadron’s successful deployment to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan from April to November of 2011. By the end of his flying career, he accumulated over 3000 hours in the EA-6B Prowler.

In July 2012, Col Benton was assigned to United States Forces Korea (USFK) as the Chief of Current Operations Branch, Current Operations Division. During this time he participated in the major theater exercises ULCHI FREEDOM GUARDIAN and KEY RESOLVE as well as numerous real world incidents encompassing periods of increased tensions on the Korean peninsula that included responding to a North Korean missile launch in December 2012 and the February 2013 North Korean nuclear test. In May 2013, he assumed duties as the USFK Chief of Current Operations, United Nations Command Deputy Current Operations Officer (UNC DU33) and Combined Forces Command Commissioner Frank Berry, Department of Community Health; Director Bobby Cagle, Department of Family and Child Services; Director Teresa MacCartney, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget; Stephanie Blank, chairwoman, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students; Erica Fener Sitkoff, policy and outreach director, Voices for Georgia’s Children; and Dr. Jordan Greenbaum, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

I am proud to see Georgia be a national model for criminal justice reform, and would love to see our state do the same with children’s mental health services. With this new commission and the many other initiatives our state has undertaken, it seems we on our way.

Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Health, which provides treatment and recovery services for individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a 12-county region of northwest Georgia that includes Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk and Whitfield counties. Deputy Current Operations Officer (CFC DC33).

In June 2014, Col. Benton was assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command (MARFORCYBER) and detailed as the MARFORCYBER Liaison Officer to the National Security Agency (NSA) Threat Operations Center (NTOC). In June of 2015, he transitioned back to MARFORCYBER as the Chief of Staff with follow-on assignment in October 2015 as the G/J-35 Future Operations Officer.

He assumed duties as G/J-3 Operations Officer in June of 2016 where he oversaw the implementation of various measures that enabled the command and control of Marine Corps and Joint offensive and defensive cyberspace operations.

Col. Benton’s personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal – 15th Award, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal – 2nd Award, and Navy Achievement Medal. He is married to the former Stacy Lynn Fudesco of Syracuse, New York. They have two daughters, Audrey (16) and Cadey (14). flag, I’m glad to do it,” Kelley said.

That isn’t all that is keeping Kelley busy these days. His work on the Rural Affairs Committtee, for example, is one of many committees that meet when the legislature is out of their regular beginning of the year session to keep the state moving forward throughout the year.

“Even when we’re not in session, we have committee meetings and other sessions that are going on all the time,” he said. “Right now we have a lot of house study committees that are active. One big one is the house study committee on rural development… there’s a lot of conversation about broadband there, rural health care, education in rural Georgia. those are things that are unique to communities like ours that are smaller than Atlanta and other metro areas in the state.”

Kelley said one specific appointment he’s been tasked with during the legislature’s off-season is to look at housing tax credits.

“We’re looking at how we’re getting the most bang out of our taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Kelley said the time away from Atlanta does give him positive opportunities to take part in locally, like last Friday’s visit to Eastside Elementary in Rockmart, and his chance to speak at events like the recent kickoff of the Lead Polk program.

But that doesn’t mean that he’s not focused on politics.

Like every other legislator in the state, 2018 will be an election year and though Kelley isn’t looking ahead at any particular challenges during the coming ballot cycle, he is keeping an eye on the issues.

Usually these stinging hair caterpillars do not occur in sufficient numbers to justify the use of pesticide sprays. Should potential hazards exist around residences or schools, infested shrubs

For instance, he foresees that health care will continue to be an issue both at the state a national level as Republican leaders in Washington continue to wrangle over details of a potential Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare repeal and replacement. He said it’s been frustrating to watch how t he process has worked out so far.

He said Georgians in particular should keep a close eye on how the debate continues to play out over Medicaid increases for those states who chose not to make additional contributions when the law was introduced in the late 2000s.

“We have to make progress, and I’m all for appealing Obamacare. I think it’s a broken system. We have a limited number of providers who are part of the individual system,” he said.” It’s something that hampers growth in the health care system.”

Kelley said he wants to see changes in the system to better create opportunities for investment in technology and care of patients, and to help reduce the burden on taxpayers for providing care for a smaller amount of individuals who use up a larger amount of the resources available.

His plans in 2018 are to continue to push for his particular issues that voters have sent him to office to work on: protecting second amendment rights, continuing to work on tax reform and more.

Until the session comes back however, Kelley plans to keep working hard and studying the issues, so that when it comes time for January 2018 to roll around he and other legislators will be ready for what promises to be a busy session ahead. and trees may be sprayed to reduce or eliminate these caterpillars. Sprays of carbaryl (Sevin) or Bacillus thuringiensis (Biotrol WP or Thuricide) in formulations labeled for bushes, shrubs, and trees can be helpful. Be sure to read the label, follow directions and safety precautions.