Approximately one in five children in the United States is diagnosed with a mental disorder. These disorders can begin in the middle of adolescence or early childhood. The child's family history and environment, and the family's social and economic status are important factors. However, there are effective treatments for helping children function well in their homes and in school.
The current structure of the mental health service system lacks resources to meet the needs of children and youth. Although many states have attempted to respond to these needs, there are still significant challenges. For example, the financial fragility of family advocacy support and education organizations is a major concern. This uncertainty, coupled with the lack of federal funding, creates a challenge. In addition, a lack of strategic plans or funding streams that allow for services to be provided based on individual need can result in a limited scope of work. Check out the Meridian Adolescent Services to learn more about the solutions they offer.
In order to improve the delivery of services to children and youth, HHS agencies encourage states to develop a strong system of children's mental health care. The agency also encourages recipients to coordinate mental health funds, and to expand access to high-quality pediatric mental health care. Among the tools available to assist recipients in coordinating federal funding, a joint letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a good place to start. The joint letter addresses the following issues:
In an effort to address the need, a statewide children's mental health task force was established to assess and identify gaps in mental health services and provide training to providers. In addition, the statewide task force is working to expand mental health services, including expanding Medicaid mental health screenings. The statewide task force coordinates data across programs and implements a response strategy.
A survey of over 80 child mental health directors focused on cultural competence and linguistic proficiency. In addition, the researchers explored the role of the school in children's mental health. The study found that the school's role in children's mental health included quality mental health services, supports for mental health, and a current plan to help children. Increasing the school's capacity to provide these services will benefit children and help them grow up healthy.
The next generation of child and youth mental health services requires intervention strategies, prevention methods, and universal approaches to promote health. It should also include family-responsive practices, culturally-appropriate care, and infrastructure-related supports. As a result, the system will have to adopt an integrated approach, with a focus on community-based treatment and prevention. In addition, it will need to provide aftercare for youth with mental health conditions. See this site to learn where to get Adolescent Healthcare services.
The National Survey of Children's Health demonstrates that there are significant gaps in the services that are offered to children. Despite these challenges, the vast majority of states are making progress towards improving their mental health delivery systems for children. Yet, the scope of these efforts is often limited and improvements are sometimes shallow. Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health.