Advocates Push For System That Takes Care Of Children’s Mental Health Just Like Physical Ills
The California Children’s Trust is calling for a radical shift in how state and local governments finance, administer and run mental health services for young people. Also, the Los Angeles Times looks at a federal judge's decision to investigate state officials' report about mental health care in prisons.
The California Health Report:
California's Mental Health System Is Failing Kids And Needs Major Change, Coalition Says
A statewide coalition of health care providers, advocacy groups and researchers is pushing for a major overhaul of California’s mental health care system for children and teens. In a policy brief released this week, the recently formed California Children’s Trust said the state’s mental health system for youth is disjointed, messy, and overly focused on treating mental illness rather than preventing and identifying mental health problems early. As a result, suicides, mental health crises and hospitalizations among children and youth have skyrocketed over the past 20 years, according to the report. (Boyd-Barrett, 11/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Federal Judge Wants Investigation Into Mental Health Care At California Prisons Following Scathing Report
A federal judge on Monday said she plans to appoint an investigator to launch a probe into whether California has painted an inaccurately rosy picture of psychiatric care inside its prison system as part of a lawsuit against the state that has spanned nearly three decades. U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller’s move comes on the heels of a 161-page report written by the chief psychiatrist for the prison system alleging the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has concealed issues surrounding the adequacy of mental health care and staffing in prisons from officials who could mandate changes. (Fry, 11/6)