CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTHMental health refers to how a child thinks, feels and acts when faced with life's situations. It is how children look at themselves, their lives and the other people in their lives; evaluate the challenges and the problems; and explore choices. This includes handling stress, relating to other children and adults and making decisions. The goal of the children’s mental health initiative is to reduce the number of at-risk children ages 6-14 entering intensive treatment and/or the juvenile justice system due to their mental health problems. Over the next 10 years, the foundation will: 1. Invest in projects that promote a community-based system of early identification and intervention for children at risk of mental health problems; 2. Support developing and disseminating knowledge in early identification and effective interventions relating to children's mental health. Mental health disorders affecting children and adolescents include depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and conduct disorder. These disorders severely disrupt daily functioning in the home, school or community and affect 1 in 20 young people.  Over the past decade, promised investments in community-based mental health services have not been made, resulting in a crisis impacting hospitals, schools, families, residential facilities, the juvenile justice system and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. Expenditures rapidly increased for residential placement as opposed to outpatient and day treatment services.
In July of 2001, a Blue Ribbon Commission on Mental Health, appointed by the governor, identified the signs of an impending crisis in access to mental health care and made a dozen major recommendations, including enhancing the community and local care network, revising the children’s mental health system, enhancing rates to adequately support care, focusing on primary prevention, improving the cultural competency of service delivery, enhancing consumer and family involvement, and implementing an ongoing community education campaign. Creation of Connecticut Community KidCare, a statewide systems-change initiative, is expected to lead to an innovative and expanded system of community mental health services for children and families with serious emotional disorders. The expanded services expected under KidCare include local 24-hour emergency mobile psychiatric teams, in-house psychiatric services, mentors, respite care and extended day treatment programs. CT Health has an appreciation of the magnitude of the KidCare initiative, as it requires reorientation of large state bureaucracies, retraining of state employees, training of private-sector mental health providers and creation of new infrastructure and reimbursement methods. All these changes will be implemented gradually over several years. To ensure that families and caregivers with seriously mentally ill children are partners in the KidCare initiative, the foundation is committed to assisting them to become active and productive members of their KidCare Community Collaboratives. The foundation has supported projects related to children's mental health since 1999. To further current objectives, the foundation emphasizes supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of local Connecticut systems of care. Emphasis on systems change includes research, community grants, stakeholder covenings involving a broad spectrum of representative groups, and technical assistance. The focus is on educating and empowering Connecticut residents, as well as communicating effective clinical practices among mental health care providers that are innovative and evidence-based. The ultimate goal is Connecticut children age 6-14 receiving appropriate screening and mental health care. This care is reflected in long-term improvements in school sanction rates, such as expulsions and suspensions, and the number of children entering the juvenile justice system from lack of appropriate care in CT Health-funded communities.
Related links:
The State of Children's Mental Health In Connecticut Close to Home: A Report on Behavioral Health Services for Children in Connecticut's Juvenile Justice System (PDF)
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