May 15, 2000 Health Forum Report

CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH

Key Concerns:

Schools-No good system for dealing with families or education of children with MH issues.
Lack of services for co-morbid conditions
More serious with condition of younger leading to other problems
Lack of MH parity services and dollars.
More case management
More cases in MH system.
Placement of children outside of community, transition process and how family suffers.
No support for families and lack of resources.
Need to equip parents to meet issues of children's mental health issues.
Lack of research for children and families on this issue.
Families are often confused. Need to educate parents to meet needs of children.
ISD handling MH issues and lack of consistency.
Challenge in coordination of MH issues for children.
Evidence based research and best practices.
What is available and where to refer children. Lack of resources.

BIOLOGICAL	Number
Lack of knowledge about the disease. Knowing you have a problem. How to know your child has a mental health problem. Lack of leadership and awareness.	11
Family history of mental illness. Maternal substance abuse prenatally. Genetic Factors. Prenatal mental health problems. Trauma Biological changes in the brain due to abuse and neglect.	4
Other Poor nutrition - birth to five years old.	2

ECONOMIC	Number
Fragmented funding Fewer government funded services. Lack of funding for research.	9
Lack of resources to address issues. The low-income families lack of services.	4
Poverty+1 Poverty Stress No job Homelessness	2

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM	Number
Parents are seen as problems rather than part of the solution. Many practitioners do not want to "treat" children with more severe problems. Lack of understanding knowledge of effects of psychiatric meds on children. Lack of professional knowledge on how best to treat mental illness. Lack of clear diagnosing parameters Mis/undiagnosed	11
Research Funding not available. Lack of follow up. Poor transition options form childhood to adult services. Lack of meds. Lack of integration between medical and mental health services. Waiting lists. Lack of early prenatal care. Lack of health care available.	10
No insurance Lack of insurance parity. Insurance runs out - nothing available.	4
Deficit based rather than strength based. Serving child verses entire family.	4
OTHER: Lack of bilingual and bi-cultural mental health professionals. Reimbursement rates are too low. Do not cover costs to provide services. Managed care is based on traditional model-doesn't pay for supports.	0

LIFESTYLE CHOICES	Number
Lack of leadership skills to promote positive behavioral supports for children and adolescents in schools. Awareness or lack of awareness.	6
Substance abuse Substance abuse to mask symptoms. Youth substance abuse.	5
Lack of options for families. Poor parenting.	2
OTHER: Diet/poor nutrition.	0

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT	Number
Violence in immediate neighborhood. Family abuse/violence. Unsafe living conditions, e.g., lead paint.	9
OTHER: Lack of education. Separation of child from the family.	1
Family Stressors Lack of family understanding on how to deal with mental illness.	0

PSYCHO - SOCIAL	Number
Significant loss Change/disruption of family situation i.e., divorce, death, loss of job/resources, loss of housing. Lack of leadership skills. Isolation from supportive people (family/friends). Lack of support for isolated parents. Lack of community.	18
Abuse/Neglect and Family Violence	3
OTHER: Lack of future options for children or recreation. Schools with inadequate training for staff or programs on how to work with children. Fear - You don't act or think like others.	2
Unstable/Inconsistent parenting. Lack of parenting skills. Family history of mental illness. Lack of encouragement and positive attention.	1
Pressure from peer age group. Social stigma of homosexuality, religion, race, etc.	0

Number

Need for spiritual healing.
Poor spiritual growth.
Individual passion and talents of children are not validated and supported in communities.

OTHER:

Skills combined with leadership skills.
Cultural belief on need for physical punishment.
Reimbursement rates don't cover people with mental health issues.
Don't have a voice.
Leaders
States choice to invest in punishment rather than treatment.
Lack of leadership skills with parents, to enable them to build their own support.
Managed Care does not cover what is needed.
Medicaid too complicated.
Lack of affordable housing.
Community leaders focus on traditional services.
Lack of collaboration.
Fragmented Services
Lack of educational campaigns.
Family values.
Medical model- doesn't look at mental health aspect.
Hard verses soft-science.
Lack of knowledge-medical community
Mental Health coverage is not the same/on par with physical health coverage by Insurance companies. Sourced by legislature.
Lack of parenting knowledge.
Lack of prevention programs.
Gang activity.
Media violence
Poverty
Substance Abuse
Mental Health issues are note politically expedient.
Low representation of mental health issues.
Too complicated.
Unemployment
Growing economic disparity
Lack of education.
Mental health more expensive.
Managed care limits access.
Lack of evidence-based intervention.
Government funding uncoordinated and categorical.
Managed care is profit driven.
Parents not thinking there is anything wrong.
Untrained teachers.
Lack of funding for support activities.
Organizations that support mental health clients-lack support themselves.
Stigmas-cultural beliefs.