Mental Health
Reviews of the child mental health system in this country conclude that nationally, we’re doing a poor job of providing prevention and early intervention services to our most vulnerable children and families. Major public systems that serve these families, including education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and the welfare system, are often ill-equipped to deal with mental health issues.
The Foundation believes that these conditions can improve through development and dissemination of evidence-based or best practices in mental health assessments and treatment. Therefore the Foundation’s investment in mental health involves a two-part agenda:
- Integrate proven, effective and culturally relevant mental health services and supports into the Foundation’s current work in early childhood, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, youth development, and neighborhood transformation.
- Improve mental health outcomes for children and families on a broad scale by promoting federal and state reforms of policies, systems and practices.
Casey Funding in Action
- Through a grant to the Medical University of South Carolina, we are testing a model of intensive home-based intervention for families at risk of losing their children due to a parent’s substance abuse problem. Early results from Building Strong Families suggest that children can safely remain in their homes, while the parent’s substance abuse problems are addressed.
- We are also supporting the development of new and more effective treatments for families of children with serious emotional and behavioral problems. In one project, developers are testing a prototype system that integrates three of the most successful, innovative, evidence-based types of mental health treatment -- functional family therapy, multisystemic therapy, and multidimensional treatment foster care.
- Our investments also aim to improve major public systems including child welfare, juvenile justice, and the welfare system, which are often ill-equipped to deal with mental health issues.
- New mental health investments are still emerging that advance our belief that cost-efficient, culturally relevant, neighborhood-based, family centered and evidence-driven efforts will result in positive results for youth and families. We expect to see the following results from our investments;
- Reduced reliance on incarceration and residential treatment for young people;
- A greater use of evidence-based treatments in community settings;
- A reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in service delivery; and
- A focus on parents that leads to better outcomes for their children.