Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 9. Source pages: 4.
Commends the LA Coalition for Violence Prevention
State Senator Fred Mills, from New Iberia, offered a Senate Concurrent Resolution commending the Louisiana Coalition for Violence Prevention for its efforts to help improve the early detection of those at risk for interpersonal violence in the state.
The Resolution, SCR 52, was read in the Senate yesterday. “To commend the Louisiana Coalition for Violence Prevention upon its efforts as an independent, grassroots, multi-disciplinary coalition of behavioral health community members who are committed to the early detection of those at risk for interpersonal violence in order to prevent such violence and the terrible human tragedies that accompany such violence.”
The Coalition includes members of the behavioral health community, a cross section of leaders from school psychology, counseling, psychology, and social work, who formed the coalition to promote safety in Louisiana by strengthening early identification of those at risk of violence.
Senator Mills’ resolution notes, “WHEREAS, the coalition is a multi-disciplinary organization of behavioral health community professionals who believe that early detection and intervention is the best and most effective approach to violence prevention; …”
And, “… this alliance states as its mission to engage all levels of the behavioral health community to use knowledge and skills that have been judged scientifically effective in order to build skills in early detection to eliminate violence in Louisiana; …”
Cindy Nardini, steering committee member of the Coalition, noted, “I appreciate the time, assistance, and understanding that Senator Mills gave in the process of obtaining this resolution. He supported the idea and mission from our very first meeting. This resolution will aid in spreading the word about the coalition and our mission to reduce violence in Louisiana.”
Dr. Bryan Gros, also a member of the steering committee, said, “The support and input the coalition has received, especially from Senator Mills, has been very positive and uplifting. As a member of the Coalition, I think the resolution will be very helpful in engaging behavioral health professionals and key players in the community in this important effort to reduce violence.
Nardini is Legislative Chair for the Louisiana Counseling Association and Gros is current president of the Louisiana Psychological Association, but both are independent in regard to their steering committee membership.
The Coalition is planning a number of projects, each with the theme that better detection and accurate knowledge about the antecedents of violent behavior is a key to addressing problems before they escalate into tragedy. Engaging the mental health community and making sure professionals have the necessary skills for early detection is a major goal of the group.
Dr. John Simoneaux, an expert in forensic psychology and a person who trains mental health professionals, leads the training institute for the Coalition. “Proper risk assessment is analogous to CPR training,” Simoneaux previously told the Times, “and should be a basic skill held by virtually all behavioral science professionals and many laypersons.”
In 2011 Senator Mills received the Outstanding Family Advocate Award from the Louisiana Family Forum, honoring the Senator for his dedication to traditional family values, and in 2012 Mills took a lead to curb designer drugs in the state.
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