The Connecticut Department Of Children And Families has a release a draft of its plans to revamp the provision of mental health services to children within the state. The changes came after Lawmakers in the state decided that the system needed to be remodeled after what was apparently a failure, as was witnessed in the case of 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who had a history of mental health illness, and was responsible for the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
The agency is partnering up with the nonprofit organization, Child Health and Development Institute, to hold conventions across the state to gather input from mental health experts as well as from the families of children with mental health issues.
Some suggestions that have been included in the plan are a systematic periodic screening of children to help identify the presence of any mental health problems; the expansion increased efficiency of mental health services across the state; and the proposed training of teachers, doctors, and other concerned individuals that would help in the easier identification of these cases. According to Jeffrey Vanderploeg, Vice president of the Connecticut Department Of Children And Families, the idea is of this initiative is to create a system "that is less fragmented, that's more accessible to children and families, that's more responsive to the needs, And that ultimately results in more kids experiencing better outcomes over the long-term."
Commissioner Joette Katz from the same agency also said that they are recommending the breakdown of confidentiality barriers that are currently preventing teachers and doctors from sharing pertinent information about children who are suffering from mental health issues. "The whole point of this is to make it easier for families to get care for your children before situations interrupt, before they become emergencies and, part of that means to make things as normative as you can." At the moment, the report would like to emphasize the importance of early detection and screening that would give these children access to the appropriate services, however, it needs to step up its recommendation to mandate testing by schools and pediatricians.
