Improving Adolescent Mental Health:

Identifying Opportunities and Evaluating Priorities

Key Speakers

Pia Escudero, Director, School Mental Health & Crisis Counseling Intervention Services, Los Angeles Unified School District

Vanessa Davis, Youth Services Director, Just in Time Foster Youth

Toby Ewing, Executive Director, California Mental Health Services Oversight Commission

Lynn M. Thull, Consultant, Mental Health Policy and Practice Improvement, The California Alliance

Alex Briscoe, Principal, California Children's Trust

Carrie Bearden, Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences

Jonathan E. Sherin, Director, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health

Stacie Hiramoto, Director, Racial and Ethnic Mental Health Disparities Coalition

Overview

In California, 1 in 13 children suffer from a mental illness that limits participation in daily activities. Economic, gender, racial and ethnic disparities indicate that people of color and low-income families experience serious mental health issues at a greater rate and have a harder time accessing treatment. Many children who deal with severe mental health issues are also in the foster care system which can make seeking treatment difficult for those who have no support and limited financial resources.

Roughly two-thirds of adolescents with mental health needs aren't receiving treatment because of the unique barriers they face. For example, the supply of acute psychiatric beds has declined over the last 15 years, making California less capable of handling severe mental health crises and providing in-patient care in comparison to the rest of the nation. Additionally, the United States is experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals that is projected to get worse in the coming decades.

California passed the Mental Health Services Act Reversion Fund (MHSARF) in September 2018, which reallocates unspent funds (within 3 years of allocation) to counties for prevention, early intervention or innovation programs. According to a recent Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) audit, most of these funds go unspent because of a lack guidance on spending and recovering unspent funds. California's decentralized insurance system also makes it difficult to pay for treatments and for patients to receive care.

Counties and cities can help even more families provided they have the right tools and advice. Given these developments, this symposium will offer delegates an opportunity to assess the successes and challenges in providing mental healthcare and implementing the MHSA. The event will focus on learning lessons, sharing experiences and overcoming challenges at state, regional and local levels with the aim of ensuring that all children and adolescents receive the targeted and compassionate care and treatment they need.

Delegates will: 

• Assess the impact of the Mental Health Services Act and examine priorities for service provision statewide and at county level
• Consider ways to improve service delivery through collaborating with other institutions such as schools and foster care agencies
• Address funding issues by discussing optimal guidelines for managing MHSA funds
• Identify potential partnerships and collaborative efforts that can improve access to service
• Understand the role of educational leaders in safeguarding children’s mental health services and providing a safe environment for discussion and treatment
• Discuss strategies for combatting stigma and developing a culture that proactively prioritizes mental health
• Assess barriers to treatment for hard to reach or disadvantaged adolescents and discuss ways to ensure they have access to the services they need
• Learn from case studies – encouraging dialogue, sharing experiences and gaining insights from successful partnerships and programs involved in service delivery

Program

Who Should Attend?