Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
The pandemic has been the source of increasing levels of stress and disruption, especially for children. In the East Tennessee region, many more children than pre-pandemic are presenting with mental health needs. Behavioral health agencies and hospitals are seeing an increase in psychiatric emergencies. The increase in psychiatric emergencies has overloaded the existing systems that supports children. As the largest community mental health center in this area, the Helen Ross McNabb Center, Inc. proposes to address gaps in care the pandemic has magnified for children 18 years and under. While there are crisis services available for children, the current system is fragmented and inadequate. This Children and Youth Crisis Stabilization Continuum (CSC) program will provide services to one thousand unique children over two years. The 24 hour/7 day per week, CSC program will include a continuum of crisis services that are intensive and community based with an emphasis on diversion and stabilization. The overarching goal of the program will be to address the needs of children presenting with emergency mental health crises by providing services that can divert a child from hospitalization. The Center will accomplish these goals by developing a children’s crisis stabilization unit and a walk-in center that will house a mobile crisis assessment team and child and family intensive community based case managers, provide medication assessment and monitoring, deliver trauma-informed therapy services, and allow respite for caregivers . The measureable objectives will include: 75 children each year who are seeking emergency mental health care will be diverted from acute hospitalization by accessing treatment in the CSU or in intensive community-based services, 85% of children each year seeking emergency care will remain in their current home placement after receiving referrals for intensive community-based services and/or CSU, 90% of children assessed each year will receive a trauma screening, 90% of children assessed each year will have a follow up outpatient mental health appointment scheduled within 7 days of the initial crisis assessment,100% of children assessed during mental health crises each year will be referred to CCFT services, 80% of children who seek emergency mental health care each year will experience improved mental health symptoms within 6 months of the initial assessment and will no longer meet criteria for higher level of care.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
