Minnesota Assn. for Children's Mental Heath Conference

Healthy Legacy had the opportunity to reach out to hundreds of mental health professionals throughout the state of Minnesota at MACMH's annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference in Duluth, April 25-27. Healthy Legacy's exhibit and my presentation on "Environmental Toxins and Their Impact on Children's Mental Health"  gave us a chance to interact with mental health professionals who are concerned about links between environmental exposures and rising rates of mental health and developmental disabilities.

The scientific literature links developmental disabilities to exposure to an array of toxic chemicals, including: lead, mercury, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, bisphenol A, phthalates, pesticides, arsenic and solvents. The list of chemicals linked to higher risk of various mental health diagnoses is similar, including heavy metals, pesticides, PCBs and solvents. We’re exposed to these chemicals in products we use everyday in our homes, schools and workplaces. How can we prevent these everyday chemical exposures that can harm children's development and overall well being?

Our session generated some good discussion and ideas for things mental health professionals can do to better protect the children in their care.

For example, mental health professionals could:

• Work to "green up" the physical environment in schools, child care centers and other service settings through adoption of green cleaning, green purchasing, integrated pest management to reduce or eliminate pesticide use and use of safer products like low-VOC paints.
• Serve healthier food options i.e. more fruits and vegetables, more organic food, lower fat meat and dairy products and hormone-free milk will also help to create healthier environments for children.
• Collaborate with parents to implement some of these same practices at home, recognizing that it might take a while for parents to make these changes.

While greater awareness and individual behavior changes to reduce exposures are important, ultimately we need better regulation to prevent many of these chemicals from getting into our products, our homes, our schools, our environment and our bodies. Reforming the broken Toxic Substances Control Act will go along way toward solving this problem. 

People all across the country are demanding to be "toxic free," including conference organizer, Lisa Wolf, who is also a mother and MACMH's Healthy Legacy coalition representative. Healthy Legacy will keep working to make Lisa and moms across the state toxic free!  We need your help--so sign up for action alerts at info@healthylegacy.org!