密歇根新闻广播 儿童心理健康没有得到重视

Where do you go, to whom do you turn if your child needs mental health care? Child psychiatrists¹ and parents agree: the options in Michigan are too few and far between.

This issue has led to a class action lawsuit² against the state's Department of Health and Human Services. It was filed in 2018 against then-Governor Snyder, and it alleges³ the state has failed to meet its legal obligation under Medicaid to provide adequate services for children who have behavioral and mental health problems.

Earlier this month, federal judge Thomas Ludington ruled the lawsuit may proceed towards trial.

Former state senator and state representative David Honigman is the lead attorney in the case, and a partner at the law firm Mantese Honigman, PC.

Federal law entitles people with disabilities and mental or physical illnesses to have their medical treatment paid for by the state. Honigman says the state is falling short on that legal responsibility.

There's a lack of political responsiveness to the needs of the vulnerable, Honigman said.

Honigman says this has major consequences for kids. He describes one of the seven cases in their lawsuit: a non-verbal 20-year-old boy who has has autism, intellectual disabilities, and cerebral⁴ palsy. For years, his mother had been requesting mental health services and medical attention for him. Honigman says that her son didn't receive services until he was 17, and when he did, only minimal⁵ services were offered to treat his autism.

It's easier to build a strong child than it is to repair a broken man or woman. That's why the Medicaid law emphasizes early intervention⁶ to address the mental and physical health of our nation's children, Honigman said.

We reached out to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for comment and were provided this statement:

We cannot comment on ongoing⁷ litigation, however, MDHHS is committed to working with partners to address mental health needs in Michigan.

Stateside's request to discuss the state's mental health system for children, more broadly, and what the department is doing to improve it, was declined.

1 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

4 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

5 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

6 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。