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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Julia Graham Lear, PhD and Nancy Eichner, MUP. Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, The George Washington University, 1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 505, Washington, DC 20036, 202-466-3396, jgl@gwu.edu
Mental health is a critical component of a child’s academic success and overall health. An estimated 21 percent of the population ages 9-17 experienced the signs and symptoms of a DSM-IV disorder during the course of a year but only one-fourth of children in need of mental health care get the help they need. Minorities, according to the U.S. Surgeon General report on Mental Health, have less access to mental health services and are less likely to receive needed care.
To expand children’s access to mental health care and reduce disparities in access, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded grants to eight organizations through a new program, Caring for Kids: Expanding Dental and Mental Health Services Through School-Based Health Centers. Administered by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., this program will demonstrate effective ways to increase access to mental health services for underserved populations through school-based health center programs.
During this session, three health centers will outline their approaches to meeting the mental health needs of children and youth. These approaches include utilizing different provider types in service delivery, collaborating with community-based providers and universities to augment services and referral networks, and sustaining services through billing third-party payers.
Learning Objectives: As a result of this session, participants will be able to
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.