Mrs. Tipper Gore's acceptance of the New York University Child Study Center Second Annual Child Advocacy Award - November 30, 1999
Thank you. It's wonderful to be here in New York City. I feel a close connection to all of you, since one of the youngest New Yorkers happens to be my four-month-old grandson Wyatt. Already, I can tell that he is a true New Yorker; when he wants something, he doesn't want it now - he wants it yesterday.
Thank you for that kind introduction Brooke. And thank you for the compassion and commitment you bring to serving New York's children and families.
I would also like to recognize her husband, Daniel Neidich, for his work on these issues. Jon and JoAnne Corzine, thank you for being such good friends. Tom Lee and Ann Tennenbaum, thank you for your contributions to the Child Study Center.
Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Harold Koplewicz for his contributions to children's mental health. Al and I were pleased that Dr. Koplewicz was able to join us earlier this year for the White House Conference on Mental Health. I am deeply honored and touched to receive your Child Advocacy Award. But, it is really all of you who are truly deserving of public recognition and praise for your commitment to and advocacy for the millions of people with mental illness. You are the ones who touch the lives of children and families in need everyday. Let me take this opportunity to say on behalf of my husband and President Clinton, and the millions of Americans concerned about children's mental illness, thank you.
Thirty-six years ago, America lost one of our greatest Presidents, John F. Kennedy. Before his untimely death, President Kennedy challenged America to put mental illness in the mainstream of American medicine and at the forefront of our public policy agenda. Today, we are still working to reach President Kennedy's goal. I believe mental illness is the last great stigma of the 20th Century. Most of us can remember a time in the not so distant past when we could not talk openly about cancer. It was a secret in everybody's families. How many people suffered, or didn't seek treatment, because of the stigma attached to cancer? Today, the winner of the Tour de France bicycling race can openly talk about his testicular cancer on the David Letterman show. We all know what the pink ribbon symbolized. I look forward to the day when we can speak as openly and seriously about mental illness on late night talk shows and rally people around mental health research and education.
Let us remember that everyday, in every community, millions of Americans face mental illness. In fact, more than one in five Americans experience mental illness every year. In our country today: 10 million children and adolescents have a mental health problem, two million adolescents suffer from depression, two to five percent of children in this country have a diagnosable learning problem, and one in 100 children are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia. Child psychiatric illness is an issue that touches us all. Mental illness is real. It is the equivalent to physical illness. Early detection and treatment are both possible and necessary.
As I travel around the country talking to young people about their lives and concerns, almost all of them said that they know kids who were troubled. Most know kids who were depressed, or had attempted suicide. Some know kids who are openly discussing violence. And one student said to me, "my friends know they need help, and we know they need help - but they are ashamed to come forward because they fear being labeled."
If we are serious about giving our children the chance to live up to their potential we need to erase the stigma that prevents them and their families from getting the mental health help they need. If we knew a child had a broken arm, we would take that child to an emergency room. And if we know a child is depressed or alienated, we need to take emergency action as well.
The Clinton/Gore Administration is committed to improving the delivery of mental health services to children. We have fought to preserve and strengthen Medicaid, which as you know, gives millions of poor families and children the health services they need. We won the largest investment in children's health care since the creation of Medicaid. Our Children's Health Insurance Program has provided millions of uninsured children with coverage - including strong mental health benefits. We are now working to insure that every child eligible for this program is enrolled. We will continue providing leadership that moves our country towards the day when all children have access to affordable health coverage.
But, we need to do more. Indeed, we can do more. Today, an estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems don't get treatment. Many of the kinds of comprehensive, family-involved services that could help them are just not there.
We have taken some initial steps advancing mental health parity and, in this year's budget, we won the largest increase in the federal government's support for community mental health services ever. The Children's Mental Health Services block grants were funded at $83 million for this fiscal year. That's a $6 million increase. And we have doubled funding to combat school violence by developing programs to monitor, assess and improve children's mental health. We know government programs can do only so much. The Child Study Center is a tremendous leap forward in our nation's efforts to help children and families, whether or not they suffer from psychiatric illnesses. Whether you are expanding our understanding of children's mental health, providing the services and care, or changing public policyÉthis Center is building a brighter future for America by helping our children make the most of their God-given potential.
Again, thank you so much for this award. I am deeply touched by your service and contributions, and I wish you the best of luck.
