Devereux
Philadelphia, PA

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Renewed Focus On
Early Social And
Emotional Support

In the wake of the tragedy in Tucson and the appearance of accused Jared Lee Loughner in federal court, Robert Q. Kreider, President and CEO of Devereux, the nation's largest nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization, is available to speak on the impact that early social and emotional support can have on creating mentally healthy adults.

While there is much to be learned about accused shooter, Kreider says that those who know him say that it was clear he needed help, yet no help came.

"If resilience-building programs were in place around the country," Kreider asks, "is it possible that at an early age, Mr. Loughner's needs might have been more formally identified, and perhaps intervention could have taken place?"

"The simple fact is that behavioral problems and mental health issues do not develop overnight; they evolve over time," says Kreider. "If we make the effort to understand our children's social and emotional needs early in life, we can provide them the help they need, hopefully before serious crises arise. It is our responsibility as a nation to develop support systems that ensure those who need mental health assistance get it - and the earlier in life, the better for us all."

Devereux's Institute of Clinical Training and Research and its Early Childhood Initiative offers research studies, speakers, and teacher resource materials designed to help children resist hardships that arise in poverty-affected homes, in situations of abuse and bullying; as well as in the social and emotional challenges of everyday life. Devereux works with educators across the country to integrate social and emotional support curricula into American classrooms.

Devereux is a leading national nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders and mental illness. Founded in 1912 by Philadelphia school teacher Helena Trafford Devereux, the Devereux Philosophy of Care focuses on. For more information, visit www.devereux.org.