Data Matters: GUCCHD's National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health

"Helping Youth Thrive in the Community"
SAMSHA Short Report

Teens Who Are Our Youth?
There are an estimated 4.5 to 6.3 million children and youth with mental health challenges in the United States.1 About two-thirds of these young people do not receive the mental health services they need. In many communities, services for youth with mental health challenges are unavailable, unaffordable, or may not be sufficient to address their needs, leaving these youth at risk for difficulties in school and/or the community.

This short report provides information on youth aged 14–18 who received services in systems of care. This information, collected by the national evaluation of the system of care program, demonstrates how youth improve from the time they enter systems of care to 18 months following entry into services.

Resources:

The article is available full-text online.

Additional Resources.

IDEA Partnership (NASDSE): Communities of Practice
The IDEA Partnership Communities of Practice are focused on advancing policy and practice in four key areas: (a) the intersections of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA); (b) school behavioral health services; (c) interagency transition, and (d) teacher quality. As partner organizations work together and with States, districts, local sites and individuals, they form Communities of Practice whose members learn from each other and take action together in coordinated ways. Of particular interest may be the National Community of Practice on Collaborative School Behavioral Health (2004 and ongoing).

Communities of Practice: A New Approach to Solving Complex Educational Problems
Many of us have been and are involved in collaborative interactions. Communities of Practice is not intended to replace or supplant those strategies and experiences. Rather, the intent is to offer state agency personnel a new approach for solving complex problems that draws upon their knowledge and experience working collaboratively with others. The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of the Communities of Practice approach that the IDEA Partnership has developed in the field of special education. Chapters include information on: the IDEA Partnership’s Communities of Practice approach, including guiding principles and the phases of community building; how state agency personnel are using Communities of Practice to improve outcomes for students with disabilities; and how to create and implement Communities of Practice.

SharedWork.org
The SharedWork.org website is designed to support and facilitate the shared work of the IDEA Partnership that occurs among individuals, organizations and agencies at the local, district, state, and national levels. For each community of practice, state, or practice group, you will find the following sections: What’s New, Repository, and Discussion.

School Connectedness: Improving Students’ Lives
This report was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. While it draws on research and examples from public schools across America, the issues of school connectedness have special salience for children who have one or both parents in the armed services. Today there are well over a million military kids in U.S. public schools, and over the next few years, those numbers will increase.

“Mental Health & School Success: Hearing Summary & Resource Guide” (Spring 2001)
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and The Ohio State University Center for Learning Excellence
“Mental Health & School Success: A Hearing” took place on February 8, 2001. The report includes testimony and recommendations from: Parents and family members; Representatives of Community Mental Health and ADAMH Boards; Students; Representatives of local school districts; Representatives of provider agencies implementing successful school-based mental health programs and services. The goal of the hearing was to identify critical success factors which will lead to improved school success for children with severe emotional disorders, as well as those children identified at risk for school failure due to psychosocial difficulties. This document also provides facts, resources and ideas for the interdependency of good mental health and success in school.

“Mental Health & School Success: What We Are Learning” (Spring 2003)
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and The Ohio State University Center for Learning Excellence, Spring 2003
This second edition of “Mental Health & School Success” chronicles the growing success of partnerships between Community Mental Health and ADAMH Boards, families, students, provider agencies, and representatives of local school districts that have helped implement innovative school-based mental health programs and services.

Advances in School Mental Health Promotion
The Clifford Beers Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, launched a new academic journal relevant to all those with an interest in school mental health promotion. The inaugural issue of Advances in School Mental Health Promotion was published in October 2007, with Volume 1 commencing in January 2008. The Journal emphasizes the interconnectedness of research, policy, training and practice and the opportunities to make progress in all these areas through global dialogue, collaboration and action.

Dilemma of Centralized Accountability (Strong States, Weak Schools: The Dilemmas of Centralized Accountability)

Mentoring - 10 Boys Initiative

Comprehensive Approach to Learning

What Are Systems of Care?
The Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program funded by the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration supports the development of community-based systems of care for children and youth with mental health needs and their families.

This system of care program recognizes the importance of family, school, and community and seeks to promote the potential of every child and youth, regardless of mental health challenge.
A system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is organized to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Families and youth work in partnership with public and private organizations so services and supports are effective, build on the strengths of individuals, and address each person’s cultural and linguistic needs. A system of care aims to help children, youth, and families function better at home, in school, and in the community throughout life.

GOOD NEWS . . . Youth in Systems of Care Are Doing Better in School
Schools are among the primary resources for identifying and addressing mental health problems in children and youth. A study of mental health service use found that 67% of children and youth had used some type of service to address a mental health problem by the age of 16.3
Systems of care work to build partnerships with schools and other child-serving agencies to identify the mental health service needs of youth. Schools are the most common source of referral to system of care services (25%), followed by mental health agencies (21%).

Youth Are Spending More Time in School
Time in school is an important indicator of successful school performance for all youth. More than half of youth entering systems of care had substantial school-related challenges when they began receiving services. These challenges included difficulty with grades, low attendance, and behavioral issues, all of which have an impact on the amount of time youth spend in school.
Regular school attendance (80% of the time or more) improved within 6 months in systems of care.
Overall, 74% of youth who entered system of care services attended school regularly. Six months after entering services, 81% of youth attended school regularly. Absences from school were reduced 20% for those youth whose attendance was affected by their behavioral and emotional problems (from 76% to 61% at 18 months after entering services).
Youth also had significantly fewer disciplinary problems after participating in system of care services. At 18 months after entering services, the percentage of youth suspended or expelled from school was reduced by 44% (from about 52% to 29%).

Youth Are Improving School Grades
Eighteen months after entering system of care services, 73% of youth received passing grades (a grade C or better). This finding is a 31% increase from the time these youth entered systems of care. Despite their challenges, youth served in systems of care were able to
spend more time in school and improve their academic performance.

MORE GOOD NEWS . . .
Youth Are Reporting Improved Behavioral Health

Youth Behaviors Are Improving
The percentage of youth who did not engage in delinquent behaviors
more than doubled 18 months after entry into services (24% to 51%). Youth self-reports of arrests fell by more than half, dropping from 27% upon entering systems of care to 11% at 18 months.

This drop in the number of arrests resulted in substantial cost savings. After 6 months of services, the average cost savings per youth was $808.32. After 18 months, the cost savings was $1,259.91 per youth.

Youth Are Demonstrating Improved Emotional Health
Youth improved their level of emotional well-being after participating in systems of care. During the first 6 months after entering services, 35% of youth improved in behavioral and emotional health. This progress was sustained at 18 months, when 48% of youth showed improvement in behavioral and emotional health.

Youth reported significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety after receiving system of care services. Six months after beginning system of care services,15%
of youth reported being less depressed, and 22% reported being less depressed at 18 months. Six months after entering services, 17% of youth reported being
less anxious, and 29% reported being less anxious at
18 months.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among U.S. youth 15 to 24 years old.4 Youth suicide attempts were reduced by more than half within 6 months after entering systems of care (from 12% to 6%), and were further reduced by more than two thirds after 18 months (to approximately 4%). The percentage of youth who were reported to have talked about suicide decreased by one third in these 6 months (nearly 33% to 22%) and continued to drop by more than one half (nearly 33% to 14%) in the 18 months after beginning system of care services.

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