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Youth in Transition
This article is the third in a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The young authors of this column came together as a focus group of peers to discuss their experiences and collaborate on this...
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Early Identification of Childhood Disorders in Primary Care
Primary care providers are usually the first clinicians to identify behavioral health problems in children. Children with disruptive behavioral problems show symptoms during their primary care visits and their families rely on their primary providers for information, resources and...
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From the Publisher’s Desk “The Handshake of Hope”
With the holiday’s only a month or so away, I recall a true story I wrote about several years ago in this publication. It began with, “Let me tell you a story about a simple handshake that saved the life of a man from New York suffering with mental illness.” The year was 1987 and he was 38...
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Are We There Yet? Reflections on the 5 Years of Children’s Medicaid Transformation
It is hard to believe that five years have passed since the New York State Children’s MRT Subcommittee released its blueprint to address the unique and complex needs of children in Medicaid Managed Care. In many ways the time has flown by yet today, New York State’s target date to fully...
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The System-of-Care Movement Through a Trauma-Informed Lens: Implications for Systems Transformation
Trying to change systems is never an easy task. Efforts to encourage, argue, incentivize, and mandate change, are often met with piecemeal results, only to revert back to business as usual. On rare occasions however, profound change can happen quickly and even effortlessly. These changes often...
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The NYSPA Report: Transforming Systems of Care for Children
Children’s mental health needs are widespread and treatment is often limited and inadequate. Epidemiologic studies report that 20% of children and adolescents have a psychiatric disorder, and 10% have severe impairment. This translates to 1 million children and adolescents in New York State with...
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Transforming NJ’s System of Care Through Collaborative Efforts
A system of care is a big picture approach to how, when, and where services and supports are offered. The System of Care approach to service delivery for children began in the 1990s as communities were looking for ways to improve the well-being of children with serious emotional and behavioral...
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Helping Kids Make Real Progress: A Systems Approach
There is a set of givens supported by years of research and the evolution of Children’s Systems of Care that informs the development of effective care for children with intellectual and behavioral challenges: (A) The earlier services begin the better; (B) Services need to be tailored to the...
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It Takes a Village
When we hear the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child,” we think of the African apologue, or maybe Hillary Clinton’s book about larger societal responsibilities. But in the children’s behavioral health system, it is also true. Throughout the history of this system, there has been a...
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Partnerships Provide Effective Alternatives to Unnecessary Inpatient Care for Children and Youth
There is a high personal, psychosocial and economic toll for children and youth who experience mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. These challenges also impact their families and the communities in which they live, study, and grow up. Research suggests that in any given year, between 14 and...
