Promoting emotional health and providing behavioral health care is as important as ER care for a broken arm. Vital. We won’t be healing and preventing childhood trauma and maltreatment without a robust behavioral healthcare system in every community. (Yes, we have our work cut out for us in all fifty states.)
Innovations needed in every county focuses on citywide collaboration between existing mental health care services and school-based health care. Prevention can involve all the programs that serve parents, children and youth. We can also look to technology to enhance existing care with web- and app-based coaching, mentoring and support--linking residents of all ages to culturally-appropriate care. We must work to ensure that care exists for all our children and family members. It's what's needed and possible.
Behavioral health, in its many forms, helps us understand and solve challenges, providing opportunities to learn how to interact safety with our family members. School-based and community-based behavioral health care can play an important role in reducing the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences, trauma and maltreatment.
School-based programs focused on strengthening healthy family systems can steer kids and parents clear of destructive behaviors in order to create the foundation for success in the household. The goal is to address untreated mental health challenges and end substance misuse and violent behaviors. Trauma-informed behavioral health care has the profound power to heal.
The prevention of childhood adversity, trauma and maltreatment will be strengthened when we ensure access to quality behavioral health care at every school. (Yes, that was everyschool.) A quarter of each school’s student population will most likely experience three or more adverse childhood experiences, living in households where adults misuse substances, are threatening or violent, have untreated mental health challenges, are abusive and neglectful, are dissolving marriages or are incarcerated. One in eight students will be substantiated as maltreated by age 18.
To be clear, the status quo of one counselor dividing her or his time between several schools is not the answer. Ending an epidemic of family trauma requires a commitment to a robust behavioral health care system where everyone is in and no one is left out.
We have a plan with our Resilience Leaders program.
We invite you to explore our ten innovation areas, including behavioral health care. Informed by an understanding of the social determinants of health, our child safety promotion strategies focus on improving the conditions our children and parents live, learn and work in. Quite simply, resilient and well-resourced communities create safe childhoods and strong families.
Our call to action is urgent. We invite our governors, mayors and all local elected officials to invest in ten vital services shown to create safe childhoods and strong families including: behavioral health care, early childhood programs, parent supports, youth mentoring, family-centered schools, medical/dental care, food programs, safe housing, transportation and job programs.
With our Resilience Leaders program, we are increasing the quality and quantity of family-focused services, committing to a social moonshot. It's work that is data-driven, cross-sector and systemic. Our measurable and meaningful goal is ensuring that every child grows up healthy, safe and empowered to succeed.
Read our blueprint. www.AnnaAgeEight.org
Join the innovation! www.resilienceleaders.org
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