Mental health intervention: Does an expedited process increase access to mental health services for children
Date
2018
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Publisher
California State University, San Bernardino
Abstract
Child maltreatment negatively impacts physical, emotional, and the health
and well-being of a person, often with lifelong implications. The importance of this
study derives from the very necessity of mental health services for children who
have suffered trauma. Children’s Assessment Centers (CAC) assess and refer
children who have experienced abuse to a therapist in the community. This study
examines the use of an enhanced referral process used to connect some CAC
clients more quickly to therapeutic services in the community. The study
examined whether children who received this expedited referral service were
more likely than children who received the standard referral process to see a
therapist within three months. The study used data provided by one CAC in
California. The CAC provided information on clients who received either the
expedited or standard referral process within a 3-month period in 2017. The
researcher then contacted the clients’ caregivers to ask whether the child saw a
therapist within 3-months of the child’s referral from the CAC. The study used a
Chi-square test to analyze whether children who received an expedited referral to
mental health services were more likely than children who received the standard
referral to receive mental health services within three months. Results indicated
no statistically significant difference in access to mental health services for the
two groups. However, during data collection, the researcher learned that some
children were already engaged in therapy at the time they received the referral,
perhaps rendering the referral unnecessary. Implications for social work
practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Description
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Keywords
child maltreatment, long term effects, mental health services
Citation
Morris, D. L. (2018). Mental health intervention: Does an expedited process increase access to mental health services for children. Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 640.California State University, San Bernardino.