Mental health services in Merced expanding to match need
Merced Sun-Star (CA)Jul 31, 2014
The report, released last week by the
According to the study, about 8.5 percent of all
The study is based on data collected from 2007 and 2009. Officials at the
"It is older data, and things have changed tremendously," said
While the report does not reflect current efforts, Willems said, it does provide good information on the direction mental health officials want to take their work.
Velasquez estimates that of these, 1,875 children have received some sort of support from the
These numbers, Velasquez said, reflect only the children assisted by the county and its contract providers, and does not include the number of children helped by other entities that also provide mental health services, such as clinics.
Velasquez explained that the county's
However, this number is expected to grow soon. The department is in the process of assessing 1,200 youth in the county's foster care system, as required by the state.
Officials also expressed interest in wanting to work more closely with primary care providers to increase access to mental health services by those who otherwise might not seek help.
"For a lot of these first-generation patients, especially in the Latino population, their doctor is the access point for any psychological issues," Willems said. "And we don't get into that group as we would like to; we've tried different approaches, including hiring bilingual and bi-cultural staff. We need to really work on that warm handoff between physicians and mental health clinicians."
Another concern for officials is figuring out how to expand services without stretching staff too thin, but also hiring qualified clinicians when the opportunity for growth comes.
According to Hoskins, these type of studies help prove that early intervention is important to reduce the severity of mental health problems in adulthood.
"We really do appreciate that these studies are being done ... it's just so important to care for our youth now to create more successful adults," she said.
For more information, people can search mental health services at the county's website: www.co.merced.ca.us
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