Urging the candidates seeking the office of Mayor to adopt the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Children's Behavioral Health as part of their 2007 campaign agenda.

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia acknowledges the challenging environment in which many of Philadelphia’s children and families live; burdened by poverty, crime, substance abuse, unemployment or other difficulties; and

WHEREAS, These conditions have a significant impact on the behavioral health and well-being of Philadelphia’s children; and

WHEREAS, The Commission developed recommendations to ensure children and their families receive the best possible treatment and supports to improve their education and foster a positive life experience with their family and community; and

WHEREAS, The plan will set forth the action steps necessary to put the recommendations into practice, the outcomes used to measure progress , the partnerships needed, and the agencies or organizations responsible for seeing that these recommendations are carried out; and

WHEREAS, The Commission’s deliberations and report focused on the needs of children and how those needs would be addresses in a transformed network of child serving systems; and

WHEREAS, Each goal offered by the Commission focuses on the needs of all children, in particular those who may be vulnerable due to their circumstances or pressing behavioral needs; and

WHEREAS, Moving beyond the traditional continuum of care, the recommendations are designed to create a framework of resiliency to serve children and their families with dignity and respect that is sensitive to their cultural identities and backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, The six (6) goals identified serve as the foundation for transforming Philadelphia’s communities by identifying the need for stronger collaboration and integration across systems; and

WHEREAS, Upon the release of the Commissions’ report (February 1, 2007), candidates seeking the office of Mayor should formally recognize the importance of understanding the patterns of development that occur from infancy through adolescence by implementing new or tailor existing programs and activities that are specific to a child’s development; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby urge

the 2007 Mayoral candidates adopt the six (6) recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Children’s Behavioral Health.

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