"Nicholas, a 15-year-old New Yorker with autism, an intellectual disability, and significant mental health needs, has been to the emergency room nearly 15 times since last summer. Each time, he was sent home without a plan. New York's behavioral health system is not built to care for young people with the most complex needs."
"Attorney General James recently announced she is mandating major mental health reforms at New York-Presbyterian Hospital because of its repeated pattern of failures that put vulnerable patients at risk. This follows a similar announcement regarding Westchester Medical Center. It shouldn't require the involvement of the State AG for childrenor adultsto get the mental health care they need."
"And, it's not just about hospitals. There are too many gaps and wait lists in the system, leaving people cycling from crisis to crisis without getting the care they need. The city and state have the opportunityand the responsibilityto fix that now."
"According to the Citizens Committee for Children, 1 in 10 children in New York experience mental health challenges serious enough to affect their daily functioning in family and school life. Organizations like JCCA, the nonprofit where I work, are charged with serving children and families in need of mental and behavioral health services. We struggle to serve the children with the most acute needs because options are often unavailable due to gaps in services, long waitlists, and staffing shortages."
A 15-year-old New Yorker with autism, intellectual disability, and significant mental health needs has visited the emergency room nearly 15 times since last summer and was repeatedly discharged without a plan. New York’s behavioral health system is described as not built to provide appropriate care for young people with the most complex needs. Major reforms are being mandated for New York-Presbyterian Hospital due to repeated failures that put vulnerable patients at risk, following a similar action involving Westchester Medical Center. The problem extends beyond hospitals, with gaps in services and long waitlists causing people to cycle from crisis to crisis. The child’s history includes foster care, residential care, and later legal system encounters, yet he still needs more care than available options provide. One in 10 children in New York experiences mental health challenges that affect daily functioning, and service organizations report difficulty serving the most acute cases due to unavailable options, waitlists, and staffing shortages.
#behavioral-health #childrens-mental-health #emergency-department-discharges #health-system-reform #service-gaps-and-waitlists
Read at www.amny.com
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