ADHD Weekly -- Half of Children Who Need Mental Health Care Don’t Get It

[KarenADHDWeekly]

Of children diagnosed with a mental health concern --including ADHD -- up to half of them are not receiving the care they need. A new study looked at why that might be and what can be done to help them. Read more about their findings in " Half of Children Who Need Mental Health Care Don’t Get It" bit.ly/nrcmhcare .

Have there been barriers that have prevent you from accessing help for your child when it was needed?

[reg2018]

Thanks for this article. I've been writing my state leaders over and over about the problems with how heathcare providers classify what is covered when a child/teen goes into a hospital or treatment facility. The insurance companies' concern isn't for the child and to help them get treatment but to get out of paying for expenses.

For those families in Utah who only have Medicaid as their coverage, there's only one residential treatment facility that families can turn to. If a bed isn't available they can't get their child in and the place also doesn't have a good reputation. These parents don't have the funds to pay for other treatment centers and so they're forced to keep the child at home. Some desperate parents will mortgage their homes to put their children in other treatment centers which causes even more stress on the families and family relationships.

I've had no success with state leaders in getting them to respond to either the insurance company problem or the medicaid problem. It's extremely frustrating. We acknowledge that there are mental heath issues and needs in our country, but the steps that need to be taken to address some of these needs and help desperate families are not being taken.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to reg2018]

Wow, what great advocacy! I feel like a slug.. thanks for pushing for better help for our kids..