 | Jody Patterson is the director of COMCARE’s Children’s Services. Jody has been involved with children’s mental health programs and services for more than 18 years. She is dedicated to helping children live healthy and productive lives in the community. If you would like to speak confidentially to a professional about your child, call COMCARE Children’s Program at 316-660-7540. COMCARE of Sedgwick County is the licensed Community Mental Health Center for residents of Sedgwick County. Help is available. |
Health & Wellness
2011-01-01 10:18:00
Children’s mental health
Answer: According to the 2001 Surgeon General’s report, one in five children and adolescents suffer from a diagnosable mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment. One in 10 is believed to have a serious emotional disturbance (SED) and nearly two-thirds of all of these children receive little or no treatment.
Untreated mental health problems can disrupt children's functioning at home, school and in the community. Without treatment, children with mental health issues are at an increased risk of school failure, contact with the criminal justice system, dependence on social services, and even suicide. Studies suggest that for every dollar spent on mental health treatment for children and youth, the community receives between $4 and $7 in savings.
Individual and family therapy is not always the answer for children suffering from a mental illness, especially for children experiencing a serious emotional disturbance. For children with SED, a “system-of-care” is clearly the preferred model of treatment. (SAMHSA, CMHS) The core values of a System of Care include: child centered, family focused and family driven. The mental health needs of the child and family dictate the types of services provided. This requires a commitment to adapt services to the child and family. It is also a commitment to provide services in an environment and in a manner that enhances personal dignity of children and families, respects their goals and increase opportunities for family involvement. Community-based services are to be provided in the least restrictive manner and in the most normal location (i.e. in the community, at school, and in the home), so the child and family can be supported in achieving their goals.
Proven outcomes for effective community based services show behavioral and emotional problems are reduced. Clinical functioning is improved, school attendance and performance are improved, law enforcement contacts are reduced and children with co-occurring substance abuse problems are improved.
Because we care about the futures of our youth, Kansas offers a federal Medicaid waiver program for children 4 to 18 years of age who experience serious emotional/behavioral disturbance. Eligibility for the program is based on the child’s financial resources and certain assessments to determine clinical need for services. While private insurance does not pay for community-based services, services may be covered by Medicaid or the SED Waiver if the child meets financial and clinical eligibility criteria. Services are also available through our sliding scale fee.
