Online Program

331405
Resource Link: 10 years community-based experience in integrating mental health services into health care for children


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Marjorie A. Getz, MA, MPHIL, Health Sciences and Gerontology, Methodist College, Peoria, IL
Lourdes Delgado-Serano, MD, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL
Michael Wells, MA, OSF Healthcare System, Peoria, IL
Kay Saving, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL
Resource Link, first presented at APHA in 2004, developed to integrate mental health training, psychiatric consultation and care coordination into a centralized infrastructure for identification, early intervention and treatment of pediatric mental illness. An external centralized hub provides coordinated systems of care (e.g., screening, mental health training, care coordination for families, telephone/in-person psychiatric consultation, and increased collaborative associations among mental health professions/physicians).  Patient, parent and physician surveys, mailed at case closing, gather information about service satisfaction and perceptions of patient improvement.  Over 9 years, the program has served more than 4000 children (60-70 referrals/month). Outcome evaluations showed positive behavior changes and symptom reduction for most patients (80%-93% of PCP assessments indicated improvement across 5 measures). Most (97%) parents were "very satisfied/satisfied" with services. Physicians reported that use of Resource Link changed the way they cared for index patients and other patients. This model successfully addresses key deficits in mental health services for children. By training (through academic detailing), a more effective team approach to screening and identification of mental health needs is possible, leading to earlier diagnosis and more efficacious treatment.  Psychiatric phone consultations make best use of a scarce resource--the child and adolescent psychiatrist—while providing individualized mentoring opportunities to PCPs using case-based examples preparing them for their expanding role as major providers of mental health services.  Care coordination addresses patient/family and system level barriers and links families to appropriate local mental health services and provides support to ensure patients engage/adhere to treatment recommendations.

Learning Areas:

Clinical medicine applied in public health
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Describe Resource Link, a community-based program that provides resources and referrals and case coordination for children and their families related to mental health services Discuss 10-years of program/evaluation data which show this is an effective model for providing for the mental health needs of children and their families

Keyword(s): Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Family Involvement

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was a program developer/grant writer designing and seeking funding for this program. I first presented the model to APHA, before the program was launched in 2004. I have supervised undergraduate students who have worked in program development and execution. I worked with this program as an evaluator from 2005 2013. I am a public health/social science researcher with more than 25 years in applied health research. I am faculty in a health sciences program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.