Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102660

Karen Ann Hacker, MD, MPH, Elisa Friedman, MS, and Basil Kim, MPH. Institute for Community Health, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617-665-3829, KHacker@challiance.org

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health noted that the current system is fragmented due to “underlying structural, financing and organizational problems.” For most communities, the disjointed service system, market forces, complex reimbursement structures, multiple funding streams, differing agency perspectives, and diverse populations make integration of physical and mental health a challenge. The Institute for Community Health in partnership with an executive committee (ECAG) of parents, youth and leaders in mental health, substance abuse and physical health from Cambridge and Somerville, MA, undertook a planning process to integrate physical and behavioral health care for children. Although these communities are rich in primary care and mental health capacity, the service system remains a patchwork of isolated pieces. As a first step in the process, focus groups and surveys were conducted with parents, youth, physical health, mental health and substance abuse service providers and administrators to assess the capacity and preferences for an integrated model. Preliminary results indicate that sixty-four percent of providers preferred a model with co-location of physical and behavioral health providers, while 79% felt that referral and communication structures needed improvement. Seventy-one percent felt that integration was a priority. Stories from the field about system success and failure were also collected and models of integrated care were explored. The ECAG used a logic model framework to synthesize the information and propose a model of care. This presentation will review the community planning process, results of the needs assessment and describe a framework for interpretation and decision making.

Learning Objectives:

Participants in this session will 1)Learn about the design of the planning process for integrating physical and behavioral health for children;
• Describe how a community needs assessment was conducted using surveys and focus groups
• prioritize the results of the needs assessment, and;
• describe how the needs assessment results are being used to develop a model for the integration of mental health, substance abuse and physical health services

Keywords: Children's Health, Mental Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.