|
EMBARGOED FOR
RELEASE
CONTACT: Leah
Young, 240-276-2130
Monday, May 8, 2006, 1 p.m.
EDT
www.samhsa.gov
COMMUNITY-BASED CARE LEADS TO MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
WITH SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS
 Data
Fact Sheet
Data
Sources
SOC
Communities MAP
Children and youth
with serious mental health needs make substantial improvements at home, at
school and in the community when served through systems of care that provide
community-based services. Data released today by the U.S. Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at a Capitol Hill briefing show
that children and youth in systems of care spend less time in inpatient care,
experience fewer arrests, make improvements in their overall mental health and
do better in school than before enrollment.
A system of
care for children’s mental health is a coordinated network of community-based
services and supports that are organized to meet the challenges of children and
youth with serious mental health needs. 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.
“Children and
youth with serious mental health needs and their families deserve the best care
available,” said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. “The systems of care
approach is a proven approach that not only helps children thrive in their
homes and communities, it is a wise investment of scarce resources.”
The SAMHSA
data suggest that systems of care save taxpayers money when compared to the
traditional mental health service delivery systems. On average, systems of care
save public health systems $2,776.85 per child in inpatient costs over the
course of a year, and save juvenile justice systems $784.16 per child within
the same time frame.
These and other
data related to key outcomes, such as reductions in suicide-related behaviors
and reductions in juvenile detentions or incarcerations, can be found by
visiting
www.systemsofcare.samhsa.gov.
The Capitol Hill
briefing was led by the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health,
the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), the National Association of
Social Workers (NASW) and NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness)
as part of the first-ever National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. This
day is slated to become an annual event celebrated during the first full week
in May, which is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. May is also Mental
Health Month.
The Comprehensive
Community Mental Health Services Program for Children and Their Families is a
SAMHSA initiative. Since its authorization in 1992, the program has funded a
total of 121 programs across the United States that have helped transform the
way in which treatment and care are provided to children with mental health
needs and their families.
SAMHSA is a public health
agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is
responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the
nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment and mental health
service delivery systems.
|