Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Kids: Collaboration and Technology Are Key

The following is a guest article by Serrah Linares, Vice President of Partner Sales at Change Healthcare, and Rachel Mack Robinson, Founder and President at DotCom Therapy. Children in America were increasingly struggling with mental health before COVID-19, but the pandemic compounded an already growing crisis. Today in the U.S., nearly one in five children experience a mental health disorder. What’s just as alarming is that for every five children with a mental health disorder, only one will receive treatment. In October 2021, leading pediatric healthcare associations declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. This declaration was a stark warning for policymakers and the public to advocate for increased access to mental health resources. We need to take this warning seriously and take steps to make sure every child gets the care they need. But it’s a momentous task and one that a single person or organization cannot accomplish alone. To be successful, we need to put every option on the table and work together to remove roadblocks to care. Telehealth will be a big part of expanding access, but there’s still a lot to do before it can deliver on its full potential. Telehealth: A Great Equalizer The declaration of a national emergency from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others advocated to “assure continued availability of telehealth to provide mental health care to all populations.” Expanding access to telehealth will be a key c...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Ambulatory Clinical Communication and Patient Experience Health IT Company Healthcare IT Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring AAP American Academy oF Pediatrics API behavioral health CARES Act Change Healthcare CHIP Coronavirus Aid Source Type: blogs