Mental Health Strategies
- 1: Advocate for a District-wide capacity assessment and evaluation of mental health services for adults and children
- 2: Increase capacity by addressing the recruitment, retention, accessibility, competency, and workforce roles
- 3: Advocate for policy-level solutions to improve our ability to provide mental health prevention activities and screenings and for equitable distribution of mental health services in DC
- 4: Improve care coordination for mental health and substance abuse co-occurring conditions though facilitation of direct hand-offs to the next level of care and tracking of referrals between systems
PROGRESS ON MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGIES - AS OF MAY 2019
This score reflects an average of each of the scores of the individual strategies. The mental health priority area workgroup is progressing well in achieving its overall goal.
8.5
Click here to view prior months' reports. (Link will be active in late May 2018)
Mental Health Strategy 1
Advocate for a District-wide capacity assessment and evaluation of mental health services for adults and children
Activity 1: Conduct environmental scan of recent District-wide mental health services needs assessments
This activity is complete; however, our subcommittee will continue to scan for news and publications and incorporate them as relevant.
Activity 2: Convene stakeholder group meetings to review existing DC mental health services, access, and quality indicators
The June 5th Children's National Roundtable on School Mental Health in Our Community discussed challenges and opportunities to improve DC school-based care and resources to help children and families access mental health support. Children's National will share a summary of key discussion points and recommendations to share with participants and the Collaborative in late June.
Activity 3: Draft strategy document with recommendations on what to include in a mental health capacity and evaluation assessment with financial cost estimation
The subcommittee will sign and disseminate a document with principles and values to guide child and adolescent public behavioral health care system transformation in DC, a publication led by Children's Law Center, Children's National, the DC Behavioral Health Association and Georgetown MedStar Hospital
Activity 4: Develop outreach messages to education, philanthropy, government officials, and community members about the need to complete this assessment
No further action on this activity
Activity 5: Engage foundations to identify funding opporunities to complete a district-wide capacity and evaluation assessment
No further action on this activity
Activity 6: Collaborate on conducting city-wide mental health needs assessment
DCHCC is monitoring DC government interests to fund a citywide mental health needs assessment
Activity 7: Share findings and make recommendations on city-wide mental health needs assessment
The compiled needs assessments summary is being circulated with the Children's Law Center publication released in February 2019
Activity 8: Conduct ongoing data scan to identify gap areas to inform short-term policy changes (refer to mental health strategy 3)
In the monthly mental health subcommittee meetings, we discuss gap areas to inform short-term policy changes.
Activity 9: Support implementation of policies, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes based on findings
No further action on this activity
Mental Health Strategy 2
Increase capacity by addressing the recruitment, retention, accessibility, competency, and workforce roles
Activity 1: Conduct environmental scan of recent district-wide mental health workforce training needs
This activity is complete; however, new information is being incorporated as it is released.
Activity 2: Develop and implement mental health trainings
Children's National and Mary's Center presented to more than 50 individuals at a workshop on Building a Resilient Health Care Workforce to Address Student and School Health Needs at the 2019 National School-Based Health Care Convention in Arlington, VA.
Activity 3: Advocate for local policy changes that address mental health workforce capacity (refer to strategy 3)
Children's National and Mary's Center released a workplace advocacy tool at the 2019 National School-Based Health Care Convention on how to drive policy and system-level to address mental health workforce capacity.
Activity 4: Ensure cultural sensitivity and mindfulness is integrated throughout efforts
Mental Health Strategy 3
Advocate for policy-level solutions to improve our ability to provide mental health prevention activities and screenings and for equitable distribution of mental health services in DC
Activity 1: Establish inventory of frequently used prevention activities and screenings in DC, along with evidence-based activities that are not currently employed
This activity is complete; however, mental health prevention activities and screenings will continued to be monitored that align with the DCHCC mental health policy agenda for potential policy or system-level solutions.
Activity 2: Assess current policy governing these activities and identify policy solutions not implemented at present
Workgroup is monitoring progress on the policy agenda. Members discussed the Mayor's approved FY20 budget for school mental health and expansion planned for year 2, the confirmation hearing of the Department of Behavioral Health director and bill hearing scheduled for the Interagency Council on Behavioral Health.
Activity 3: Advocate for policy-level solutions to best improve mental health prevention activities and screenings
Workgroup discussed the opportunity to testify on the Interagency Council on School Mental Health Opportunity using the 2019 CHNA recommendations on need to improve coordination and
collaboration citywide.
Mental Health Strategy 4
Improve care coordination for mental health and substance abuse co-occurring conditions though facilitation of direct hand-offs to the next level of care and tracking of referrals between systems