The Next Generation of Children's Mental Health Service

 

 

Currently, the mental health service system for children and youth is not adequate. This is despite the availability of effective treatments for children and youth. In particular, community-based services are essential to provide effective Children's Mental Health treatment and support to children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. The next generation child and youth mental health system will require universal approaches to promote healthy youth development, prevention strategies, intervention strategies, and family-responsive practices.

 

Almost one in five young people, including those aged 10-24, will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. This figure is not surprising since anxiety and other mental health conditions are common during childhood and affect all children. However, there is a growing recognition that these issues are more prevalent in disadvantaged populations. In fact, the second leading cause of death among people age 10- to 24-years-old is suicide. A growing body of research has also shown that children and youth with mental health problems are more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system than other children.

 

This is a problem because the lack of needed services can have a significant impact on a child's life. In addition, it can contribute to school dropout and involvement with the juvenile justice system. The next generation of children's mental health services should provide services in an integrated manner that incorporates the child's full continuum of care, including home and school supports, health and medical care, and child protection. Additionally, the mental health service should include information systems and improve joint planning. The Meridian Adolescent Services for mental health are research-informed and developmentally appropriate.

 

In 2007, 3.1 million youth received treatment in a specialty mental health setting. This number is higher than the number of children who were treated in the general medical setting. In addition, the proportion of youth who received treatment in the education setting was lower than the percentage of children who were treated in the other two settings. The rate of child maltreatment in the families of enlisted Army soldiers was 42 percent higher during combat deployment than it was in non-combat deployments. These results highlight the importance of interagency collaboration.

 

In the current state of the mental health service system for children and youth, many states are still struggling to respond to the needs of this population. The majority of states are making strides in improving the delivery of services. These improvements are often limited in scope. For example, many states have attempted to be more responsive to the needs of families. Nevertheless, these efforts have not always succeeded.

 

The federal government has been instrumental in providing preventive services for children and youth. This includes contributions to Medicaid and CHIP programs, and the Affordable Care Act. In 2007, these federal agencies contributed $6 billion to the prevention of mental health problems. In order to ensure that every child has access to these services, each state should expand these programs to the federal levels. This will require an overhaul of the way the federal government works with states. Visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health for more info on mental health.