I truly believe this was the result of an ongoing commitment to attempting to honor the totality of a student's identity as not only an intellectual being, but as an emotional and spiritual one as well. Somehow, having their emotional and spiritual natures acknowledged and addressed enables them . . . to get beyond much of the turmoil in their lives and attend to the business of learning. Today, we inaugurate a new era of awareness that mental health problems among the Nation's children are real, painful, and can be severe. We know that biology can be a factor in the development of mental health problems. We also know, as Joan Pierotti pointed out so eloquently in her letter, that environment can contribute to mental health problems.
Help is available.
Some children and families only need counseling. This theater is filled with people who are doing something about this national public health problem. Some of you are advocates. Some of you are policy-makers. Some of you are researchers.