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The Maryland FASD Coalition held a kick-off meeting on November 9th 2005. The meeting included parents of children with FASD, physicians, professionals from various Maryland agencies, members of the Maryland FASD working group, representatives from the Governor’s office, and MD Delegate Pauline Menes.
The Coalition grew out of the MD FASD Workgroup which was established in 2003 after Delegate Menes attended the “Hope for Women in Recovery Summit” facilitated by NOFAS. It was here that she was first introduced to the topic of FASD and quickly became a champion for the cause.
Bonnie Berkel, Director of the Center for Maternal and Child Health at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene serves as Chair of the Coalition and has assigned one of her staff to be the Statewide FASD Coalition Coordinator. The former MD FASD Work Group will serve as an executive committee or steering committee.
A key priority for the Coalition is to plan and implement a public awareness campaign. MD House Bill #1274, sponsored by Delegate Pauline Menes, requires the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, in collaboration with other State agencies, to establish and promote a statewide public information, awareness, and education campaign relating to the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
The Coalition is currently investigating funding sources, both public and private, to support the campaign. They urge the Governor to put funding for this activity in his supplemental budget which will be submitted in March.
In the mean time, the Coalition will disseminate existing FASD materials, train physicians and other allied health professionals, and ensure that FASD is incorporated in Maryland medical schools and allied health programs.
Kathy Mitchell from NOFAS is a member of the MD FASD Workgroup and looks forward to working with the Maryland FASD Coalition.
For more information about the MD FASD Coalition contact Kathy Mitchell at NOFAS. |