Student Well-Being

Mental Health Services for Children Lacking

By Christina A. Samuels — November 20, 2008 1 min read
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The National Center for Children in Poverty, based at Columbia University in New York, has released a report that shows that states are still struggling to deliver adequate care to children and youth with mental health problems.


The study
revisits a topic that was explored in another report, Unclaimed Children, more than 25 years ago. According to researchers, there have been improvements since that time, but only seven states report “consistent support for children and youth across the age span, among young children, school-age children and youth transitioning to adulthood.”

However, in an article in USA Today about the report, mental health advocates suggest that even some of the states that say they’re doing a good job may be providing too positive a spin on their efforts.

Judging by experiences of parents, the report "seems too rosy," says Darcy Gruttadaro, children's issues director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "A lot of them have programs, but they often have long waiting lists too, so families just can't get good care for their kids."

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A version of this news article first appeared in the On Special Education blog.