Children's Mental Health Service Research

 

 

Until 2008, children's mental health services research primarily focused on outcomes. Then, states started to take steps to enhance family involvement and cultural competence in their children's mental health systems. Since then, however, many states have tried to be responsive to families' needs, but significant challenges remain. These include workforce capacity issues and the ability to work across systems.

 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) encourages recipients to expand access to high quality Adolescent Care Services as well as pediatric mental health care and create meaningful approaches to address children's mental health needs. To promote this effort, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides treatment referral help. The agency's Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator lists providers that provide care to children. SAMHSA's Treatment Referral Helpline is also available for parents.

 

Behavioral health services are provided through various modalities, including outpatient, center-based, and home-based services. These programs often include psychosocial assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, medication support, and educational services. The SAMHSA website also provides an online Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to help find mental health services in your area.

 

Providing mental health services for children should be an integral part of a comprehensive health care system. Integrated treatment plans should involve the child's family, case managers, and other service providers. These plans should consider the child's health and well-being, school supports, and trauma-informed mental health services. All children deserve to have access to effective care.

 

As states continue to pursue family-responsive services and build children's mental health services, they should make sure that these services are supported by a comprehensive system of resources and are accessible to all providers. These services should include an evaluation of the child's emotional and behavioral needs, family-centered care, and longer-term support. It is important to note that most children have symptoms of mental health problems by age fourteen. These symptoms can have lasting effects, but early intervention from the Children's Mental Health Therapy services can mitigate them.

 

In evaluating the state of child mental health services, the EPSDT provides county-by-county data on unmet needs. The data also reports county-by-county disparities. In addition to assessing the state's ability to meet the needs of children, the EPSDT also implements strategies to support the family and improve clinical decision-making initiatives. The EPSDT also provides long-term funding to support advocacy for children's mental health.

 

The data collected from the EPSDT, the Children's Mental Health Outcome Measures Reporting System Manual, and the National Survey of Children's Health provide a wide range of information. These data are used for program management, federal mandated reporting, and policy development. The data are available for community planning in 41 states.

 

While the data collected by the EPSDT indicate that there are significant disparities, the EPSDT also reports that many states are making efforts to expand access to culturally-competent services. Twenty-seven states are implementing policies to ensure that their systems can serve a diverse population.

 

The statewide children's mental health task force has expanded the scope of Medicaid mental health screenings. The task force is also coordinating data from different programs to identify gaps in services and to develop a response strategy. For more insight on this post visit: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/mental-health.