Mental Health Services for Children: An Overview

Mental Health Services for Children: An Overview

Written by Holly Kenny, Leah Oliver and Julie Poppe

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Introduction

"Just as things go wrong with the heart, the lungs, the liver and the kidneys, things go wrong with the brain," says former Surgeon General David Satcher. One in 10 young people suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, but fewer than 20 percent of these children receive needed treatment each year. At least 7.5 million children and adolescents in the United States (12 percent) suffer from one or more mental disorders, including autism, depression, and alcohol and substance abuse and dependence.

Between 5 percent and 7 percent of children use specialty mental health services every year. However, the majority of children who are likely to benefit from mental health services do not receive care. To ensure that all children have an "optimal chance for a healthy start in life," the former surgeon general recommends that family members, health care providers, educators and policymakers support not only their physical and intellectual growth, but also their mental health.

The Role of Policymakers

Because the state often becomes the payer and caretaker of last resort for people whose mental illness results in dysfunction, state legislators should be concerned about mental health issues. For example, many juvenile offenders have unmet mental health needs that were contributing factors in their offenses. Early detection and treatment of mental illness can prevent later costly problems.

Legislators make decisions about funding and program design and also provide oversight for a number of systems-such as schools, child care centers, primary health care facilities, community mental health centers, the juvenile justice system, and the child welfare system-that provide mental health care to children. Although the federal government provides some funding for children's mental health services, the majority of the funds are controlled at the state and county levels. This report provides an overview for legislators who are interested in learning more about options to address the mental health needs of children. The report covers state examples including linking mental health services with early childhood programs.

For more information about this report contact Leah Oliver in the Health Department and Julie Poppe in the Children and Families Program in NCSL's Denver office.