Countywide School Mental Health Initiative

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The need to improve access to children’s mental health services is urgent. Research has shown that 1 in 5 children has a diagnosable mental health disorder, yet 70-80% do not receive treatment or receive inadequate levels of care. The Hennepin Countywide School Mental Health Initiative (SMHI0 is committed to improving service delivery in the children’s mental health system so that more children and families can receive needed and appropriate services. The Hennepin County SMHI is a public-private collaboration among 13 school districts, 69 schools, 10 community mental health agencies, and the Hennepin county Human Service and Public Health Department that increases access to mental health services by providing mental health services integrated into school sites. The program has shown improved access and effectiveness of mental health services for children and families that are often hard to reach through traditional community-based services, including underserved minority and immigrant children. The program has developed a countywide evaluation system that can document improved mental health and education outcomes at the student, school, district, and countywide levels. The program has also developed a collaborative, long-term financial sustainability strategy with state-wide implications that braids health insurance reimbursement with county, state, and school district financial support.