Madison backs away from commitment to inclusive education

The world over, poverty contributes to childhood mental illness.  In Madison, this unsurprising pattern is repeated.

In the news: Student mental health

In Madison, two-thirds of students exhibiting mental health problems are low-income.
Last week, the Madison School Board approved spending more than $500,000 next year to expand services and try two new programs at Whitehorse Middle School. Approval came only after several board members questioned whether the new approach would eventually cluster troubled students into a handful of middle schools and retreat from the district’s commitment to inclusive education.

Hypothesis: Madison's attempts will not offset the increased incidence of childhood trauma induced by low-income stress in Walker's Wisconsin.

Future work: Is Madison's 'Constellation' program of social stratification treating students 'exhibiting mental health problems' as exhibiting a 'severe mental disorder'?

Fun with resources:
  • (Constellation) service delivery
    The organization of services for adults with severe mental disorders is the linchpin of effective treatment. Since many mental disorders are best treated by a constellation of medical and psychosocial services, it is not just the services in isolation, but the delivery system as a whole, that dictates the outcome of treatment (Goldman, 1998b). Access to a delivery system is critical for individuals with severe mental illness not only for treatment of symptoms but also to achieve a measure of community participation.
    (emphasis added)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

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