Children with mental disorders.
- sometimes commit suicide.
- who are male are more likely to successfully commit suicide.
- who are a minority are experiencing the most population growth.
- are at increased risk for child abuse.
- like depression are twenty to fifty percent more likely to be from a family with a history of depression.
- are not getting the services they need.
- experience stigma that prevent some from seeking treatment or seeking services at a later stage in life resulting in more costly services.
- often do not receive research proven care and treatment or best practices.
- have difficulty accessing culturally appropriate services.
- often experience complex enrollment processes that make it difficult to access needed care.
- who are uninsured and are below 100% of the federal poverty level often exceeding the eligibility criteria for Medicaid.
- often experience fragmented funding systems that contribute to duplication of services, lack of coordination, and lack of communication between service providers. lack prevention, and early intervention services.
- often have co-occurring substance abuse problems.
The preliminary planning recommendations listed below are based upon literature, data for Austin/Travis County, a community forum, focus groups, and input from community members. These recommendations attempt to address the needs of children with mental disorders, and the community to improve public mental health in Austin/Travis County.
- Increase the availability, service options and accessibility of children's mental health services to families regardless of ability to pay. Eliminate categorical funding constraints to enable flexible purchase of services that address family needs while meeting funding agency mandates. Examine eligibility and financial requirements for services and determine integrated approach for addressing community need. Advocate for parity for coverage of a wide range of mental health service options on managed care plans. Train providers about service options for families requiring referral assistance.
- Implement a tracking system to identify and monitor families who are forced to relinquish custody of their child(ren) in order to have the child's mental health needs met. Develop process for monitoring Travis County families who relinquished custody of their children. Ensure families given the option of custody relinquishment for accessing care are provided with a referral to the Travis County Community Resource Coordination Group for community staffing and referral.
- Implement best practices and incorporate cultural competence in the development of treatment plans for children with mental health needs and their families. Providers will be given training on how to develop and implement culturally competent treatment plans.
- Increase the number of mental health providers available to families within their own neighborhoods, communities, or schools. Services should be available at times that are convenient to the family and child in order to reduce the risk of loss of work productivity due to parental absence from employers and to increase the amount of time children and parents can meet with service providers. Enable funders of services to give priority funding or incentives to mental health providers who offer families flexible times and convenient locations for the delivery of mental health services.
- Collaborate with all entities serving children to develop a plan for diverting funding of mental health services from program/agency-based to community-based practices. Encourage the collaboration between mental health providers and childcare providers to ensure children with mental health needs receive adequate support through early childhood. Ensure family voice and choice in services, funding and policy.
- Conduct community assessment of current numbers of children on waiting lists. Develop a plan for diverting families to other agencies that may not have a waiting list. Determine which managed care plans require expansion of providers to enable faster access to mental health care. Work with managed care companies to expand their provider network.
- Enable funders of mental health services to require providers make services available to juveniles with mental health needs by broadening the criteria for eligibility into services. Ensure provider services are accessible, available and appropriate for juveniles with mental health needs and their families.
- Track cases referred by the Juvenile Probation Department to mental health providers to determine the amount of time it takes to access care and any issues preventing juveniles from receiving services. Track the number of juveniles unable to receive care from community-based providers and determine the resulting cost involved in juvenile justice having to purchase the services. Increase number of providers utilizing the strength-based family-driven model of care.
- Train providers on the strength-based, family-driven approach to care. Promote the idea of families as partners in the care of their children and that they are given voice and choice of providers and services.
- Involve families of children with mental health needs at all levels of the community system of care: policy, practice and service delivery. Promote active advocacy from families of children with mental health needs.
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