Agreement targets mentally ill youth

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Eight state agencies are coordinating to identify mental health patients early and treat them well.<br><br>The agencies and Governor Brad Henry signed an agreement Monday to improve

Tuesday, April 13th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Eight state agencies are coordinating to identify mental health patients early and treat them well.

The agencies and Governor Brad Henry signed an agreement Monday to improve services for mentally ill young people and their families. The agencies formed a group called Partnership for Children's Behavioral Health.

Secretary of Health Tom Adelson says it's important to identify mental illnesses early before a person's health gets worse. Early detection also makes treatment more effective.

The agencies have several goals for improving patients' quality of life.

They don't want patients to have to stay in treatment facilities long or deal much with law enforcement and child welfare. The groups hope mentally ill children can spend more time in school. They also want to improve family conditions for patients.