Shortage of Community-Based, Preventive Mental Health Services Leaves Many Boston Children Waiting for Care, Survey Reports

In a Boston Public Health Commission survey of 3,000 Boston families, 17% reported a need for mental health services, but more than one-third of that group said they had not received them, the Boston Herald reports. For children, the shortage of services is particularly acute. The survey, administered in 1999 and scheduled for release April 10, indicates that the waiting list for child case management rose from 1,681 families in 1999 to 2,497 in 2000, an increase of 49%. Nearly 40% of children had to wait more than two weeks for services at children's mental health facilities, the survey said (Lasalandra, Boston Herald, 4/10). Illustrating the situation, Westwood-Pembroke Health Systems, the state's largest inpatient mental health services provider with 89 beds for children, has had to turn down 350 requests for services since March 1 because of a lack of beds. Westwood-Pembroke CEO Kenneth Davis said, "Since last year, the situation hasn't gotten better and may have gotten slightly worse. It's a terrible situation for the kids in the hospital who are ready to leave, and a terrible situation for the children in need of acute treatment." Further "[u]nderscoring the danger of the mental health care shortage," the survey showed that 20% of Boston high school students had seriously considered committing suicide and 8% had attempted suicide in 1999.

Looking for Answers
The Boston Globe reports that the "crisis for children stems from a shortage of community-based care and early intervention that could reduce the number of acutely ill children being admitted to hospitals." City public health commission members, Mayor Thomas Menino, state public health Commissioner Howard Koh and state mental health Commissioner Marylou Sudders will meet April 10 with policymakers, legislators, providers and advocates to discuss the situation. The Globe reports that meeting participants will consider requiring state-licensed therapists and psychiatrists to accept Medicaid beneficiaries; requiring insurers to pay for home-based services; streamlining licensing procedures for new mental health facilities; and convincing hospitals not to close psychiatric wards. In addition, Menino said he intends to "press" state and federal officials to use budget surplus funds to address mental health problems around the city (Dembner, Boston Globe, 4/10). Menino added that he would approve $67,000 in grants for local organizations to focus on children's mental health problems, including substance abuse and violence (Boston Herald, 4/10).