Judge Specia is a partner in the law firm of Plunkett, Griesenbeck & Mimari, Inc., focused on Mediation, Arbitration and Private Judging. He also serves as a Senior Fellow with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. His public service is dedicated to all areas of civil and family law, with a special commitment to juvenile programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and early intervention programs.
Mental illness, or “severe emotional disturbance” as it is generally called in childhood, is more common among children and youth than many believe. In fact, the most rigorous research available shows definitively that approximately half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14.
