• Center on Health Equity and Access
  • Clinical
  • Health Care Cost
  • Health Care Delivery
  • Insurance
  • Policy
  • Technology
  • Value-Based Care

Removing Barriers to Mental Health Care for Children and Teenagers

News
Podcast

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, one of the authors of a recent report about how well health insurers and state Medicaid programs are covering mental health care for children and compliance with federal law. We discuss the unique challenges that youth face, the health disparities, racism, and community trauma that has been experienced in the past year, and some creative ways that organizations and communities can consider increase access to mental health supports.

Even before the pandemic, children's mental health in the United States had been declining. Depressive symptoms and feeling of sadness and hopelessness were rising, and more of their caregivers were experiencing rising rates of substance abuse. With the pandemic, adolescents reported higher rates of depression, and with the economic fallout from COVID-19, the child poverty rate is forecast to rise by 53%.

Children and teenagers have unique needs, and have not benefitted from the many changes that have taken place to integrate mental health care into primary care for adults. Three organizations—the Well Being Trust, the California Children's Trust, and Mental Health America—recently released a report examining how well health insurers and state Medicaid programs are covering mental health care for children and compliance with federal law.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Dr. Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD., who is the chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust and one of the authors of the report. He discusses the unique challenges that youth face, the health disparities, racism, and community trauma that has been experienced in the past year, and some creative ways that organizations and communities can consider increase access to mental health supports.

Listen above or through one of these podcast services:

iTunes
TuneIn
Stitcher
Spotify

Related Videos
Ronesh Sinha, MD
Mila Felder, MD, FACEP, emergency physician and vice president for Well-Being for All Teammates, Advocate Health
Pat Van Burkleo
Pat Van Burkleo
dr robert sidbury
Ben Jones, McKesson/Us Oncology
Kathy Oubre, MS, Pontchartrain Cancer Center
Jonathan E. Levitt, Esq, Frier Levitt, LLC
Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, Community Oncology Alliance
Related Content
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences
AJMC®
All rights reserved.