The Gap In Mental Health Care For Kids in Connecticut

First, the good news: Connecticut has some of the highest quality community-based children's mental health treatments available in the United States. Now, the bad news: Connecticut falls short in connecting children to that care. 

A study released by The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI) yesterday estimates that 160,000 children in Connecticut may experience a diagnosable and treatable emotional-behavioral problem, yet only 20 percent of these children are able to access the care they need. 

CHDI asserts that schools are the key to solving the problem. Its research shows that children receive mental health services in schools more frequently than any other setting. The problem, CHDI says, is that the level of care is not sufficient.

"Schools are in an excellent position to act as hubs and connect children to school-based and school-linked mental health services in the community" said Dr. Robert Franks, Vice President forMental Health Initiatives and Director of the Connecticut Center for Effective Practice at CHDI. "Most schools have limited resources for providing direct mental health services to students, but they can expand that capacity by collaborating with families, community-based mental health centers and local health departments."

The IMPACT report, "Improving Outcomes for Children in Schools: Expanded School Mental Health,"  examines available mental health services in school settings in Connecticut and summarizes the benefits and challenges of expanding these services to meet the current need. It also offers a framework to guide policy development and systems reforms as the State considers the best ways to address mental health and safety in schools.

The report highlights Connecticut's School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) program as an example of how the principles of expanded school mental health are working to meet the needs of students. Since 2009 seventeen Connecticut schools have used SBDI to connect students at risk of arrest to mental health services. SBDI is supported and overseen by the Judicial Branch's Court Support Services Division, the Department of Children and Families and the State Department of Education. CHDI has coordinated the implementation of the initiative.

Based on the lessons learned from implementing SBDI, the "Improving Outcomes for Children in Schools: Expanded School Mental Health" IMPACT report offers policy makers and school administrators ten recommendations for guiding and organizing the state's efforts towards improving mental health and academic outcomes for youth. Among these are developing a statewide plan; training school personnel; supporting collaboration efforts between schools, communities and law enforcement; increasing the capacity of EMPS; and expanding school-based health centers in Connecticut.

"Schools that successfully link children with behavioral and emotional issues to mental healthservices improve outcomes for both the children and for the school" said a co-author of the report and CHDI Senior Associate, Dr. Jeana Bracey. "Schools addressing mental health often see a decrease in student arrests and bullying and an improvement in academic achievement, school climate and school safety." 

Click here to download a copy of CHDI's IMPACT "Improving Outcomes for Children in Schools: Expanded School Mental Health.

This information is from a press release by CHDI.