Telehealth for School-Based Mental Health
Telehealth for School-based Mental Health was established to meet the mental health needs of Galveston’s adolescents through a collaborative framework—involving the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJ), the Galveston Independent School District and the city’s philanthropic community—for mental health care in area secondary schools. This undertaking is driven by a simple but powerful goal: to close the gaps in access to mental health services for adolescents in the Galveston community, and operates through the GISD Ball High School Teen Health Clinic (THC), school-based health care clinics in Galveston.
On August 31, 2005, the RWJ announced that UTMB had been selected as one of 49 organizations (out of 219 applicants) invited to bring forward a full proposal through the foundation’s Local Initiative Funding Partners (LIFP) Program. And, on July 6, 2006, UTMB was named as one of the 12 recipients of grants through the LIFP Program.
The goals of the grant are to:
The integration of mental health services into the public school setting itself is not novel. Mental health issues often surface in the middle school and high school years and school is considered a safer and more comfortable place to receive services (less stigma) and is an easier place to access services. The use of a telehealth link between behavioral professionals at UTMB and our community partners integrates a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to delivering community-based adolescent health services that will effectively coordinate the multiple health and service providers involved in treatment and delivery of clinical and social services. Without this linkage, for the most part, these students would not get the help they need. And it is well documented that untreated mental health disorders lead to higher rates of juvenile incarcerations, school dropout, family dysfunction, drug abuse and unemployment (American Academy of Pediatrics 2004).
Mental health focus groups among Galveston Independent School District parents and teachers have revealed four key areas of concern: many students’ inability to cope without using violence; a dearth of problem-solving skills; inadequate parenting skills, and a prevalence of angry, violent and depressed adolescents in the community.
In response to community concerns, UTMB convened a Mental Health Task Force in fall 2004. Now over 35 members strong, that group has performed a needs assessment, convened political action groups and developed specific strategies to address community needs. The school-based telepsychiatry program is an outgrowth of those discussions.
During the current year, year two of a five-year project, more than 600 patient encounters occurred. A basic demographic look at the patients reveals the typical patient to be of high school age, a member of a minority population who is in a seriously disturbed state. Most patients are males with no insurance who come from single-parent or broken households and live in economically depressed conditions. A recent parent survey indicates that they are overwhelmingly pleased with the care given their children and see evidence that their children are better able to cope with daily life.
On August 31, 2005, the RWJ announced that UTMB had been selected as one of 49 organizations (out of 219 applicants) invited to bring forward a full proposal through the foundation’s Local Initiative Funding Partners (LIFP) Program. And, on July 6, 2006, UTMB was named as one of the 12 recipients of grants through the LIFP Program.
The goals of the grant are to:
- Improve the access to mental health services for adolescents and their families
- Improve education, consultation, and assistance to primary health providers involved in the care of these individuals and their families
- Improve patient satisfaction with mental health services received at the THC
- Improve provider satisfaction with mental health services at the THC
The integration of mental health services into the public school setting itself is not novel. Mental health issues often surface in the middle school and high school years and school is considered a safer and more comfortable place to receive services (less stigma) and is an easier place to access services. The use of a telehealth link between behavioral professionals at UTMB and our community partners integrates a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to delivering community-based adolescent health services that will effectively coordinate the multiple health and service providers involved in treatment and delivery of clinical and social services. Without this linkage, for the most part, these students would not get the help they need. And it is well documented that untreated mental health disorders lead to higher rates of juvenile incarcerations, school dropout, family dysfunction, drug abuse and unemployment (American Academy of Pediatrics 2004).
Mental health focus groups among Galveston Independent School District parents and teachers have revealed four key areas of concern: many students’ inability to cope without using violence; a dearth of problem-solving skills; inadequate parenting skills, and a prevalence of angry, violent and depressed adolescents in the community.
In response to community concerns, UTMB convened a Mental Health Task Force in fall 2004. Now over 35 members strong, that group has performed a needs assessment, convened political action groups and developed specific strategies to address community needs. The school-based telepsychiatry program is an outgrowth of those discussions.
During the current year, year two of a five-year project, more than 600 patient encounters occurred. A basic demographic look at the patients reveals the typical patient to be of high school age, a member of a minority population who is in a seriously disturbed state. Most patients are males with no insurance who come from single-parent or broken households and live in economically depressed conditions. A recent parent survey indicates that they are overwhelmingly pleased with the care given their children and see evidence that their children are better able to cope with daily life.