The Substance Abuse and Child Safety Task Force of the Commission on Improving the Status of Children met for the second time on June 25, 2014. The title of the task force is a bit of a misnomer, as the task force is focusing on substance abuse and mental illness.
There were three presentations:
- An overview and history of social work and juvenile justice with an emphasis on why so few social workers are currently involved in juvenile and criminal justice — John R. Gallagher, Ph.D., LSW, LCAC, of Indiana University School of Social Work (IU-SSW) and Oaklawn Psychiatric Center; Nicole E. Leiter, MSCP, of IU-SSW and Oaklawn Psychiatric Center; Emily W. Sussman, BA, of IU-SSW, and Mike S. Deranek, MSW, LSW, of Bashor Children’s Home.
- Juvenile mental health services in the Indiana Department of Correction, Division of Youth Services (IDOC-DYS) — Vicki Burdine, MD, Indiana Regional Director Psychiatry for Corizon; and Mike Dempsey, Executive Direction IDOC-DYS.
- The relationship between methamphetamine and neglect of children, including exposure to toxic chemicals — Matt Light, Indiana Attorney General’s Office; and Lisa Rich, Indiana Department of Child Services.
The meeting concluded after an overview of the status of the various subcommittees that were recently formed to gather information. The goal of the subcommittees is to propose concrete suggestions for change, including possible legislative proposals.
