X .
Core Strategies
1 . Expand crisis services , mobile health care , and centralized care coordination ( including awareness and early intervention ) for youth and adults .
Strategic Objectives Addressed : Breaking down silos , Increasing services for higher-risk groups
Background and Support . There are 152,859 children under 18 years in Polk County 1 – all of them have been impacted by pandemic-related issues , and 24.7 % of children under 18 live below poverty level 2 . The U . S . CDC states that 7.4 % of children have a diagnosed behavioral health problem . Additionally , a March 18 , 2019 , article in the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ) says that about 17 % of children show symptoms of a behavioral health issue – half of whom never seek care .
In Polk County , programs exist to follow-up on children who have been involuntarily assigned behavioral health services ( i . e ., those who required a Baker Act ). However , compartmentalized information flows within the school system and among the school system and healthcare providers , public safety , and others severely limits valuable and potentially lifesaving communication , and reduces the ability of families to receive necessary support for their children . For example , professionals working for programs designed to follow-up with children requiring a Baker Act generally do not interact with providers who help care for the children on an ongoing or acute basis . In addition , schools are only made aware of high-need children ( e . g ., those who required a Baker Act ) if the act precipitating the intervention occurred on school campus .
• Implement a Rapid Cycle Improvement project to provide mobile care and crisis services to youth and adults , create a public awareness campaign , and establish a sustainable , ongoing mechanism to respond to future behavioral health crises . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , crisis services throughout the Polk County service area are strained , and they are expected to worsen – especially among youth and higher-risk adult populations . A goal of the project is to reduce the number of people ( youth and adults ) experiencing behavioral health crises and , for those who do , enhance access to care and reduce longterm impact , and support family members of people in crisis . A co-occurring goal is to reduce the number of Baker Act interviews . Note that the appendices contain a Rapid Cycle Improvement Project
• Improve intermediate and longer-term access to care by establishing MOUs and exploring general consent among behavioral health service providers , public safety officials , school system representatives , and select others to share Baker Act information regarding high-need individuals . Given that , for example , public safety agencies routinely adhere to privacy regulations around terrorist threats , emergency management issues , and others ; healthcare providers are required to adhere to HIPAA regulations ; and schools maintain confidentiality for the children in their care , many regulations and norms exist to ensure the proper use of confidential information among all involved .
• Expand legislative advocacy engagement to support information sharing efforts and improve integrated care efficiencies . Educate elected officials about the reality of individuals affected by behavioral health challenges and the related impact on families and other aspects of community life . Clearly communicate the value of sharing a limited and monitored set of select measures regarding high-risk individuals ( e . g ., those requiring Baker Acts ). The enhanced ability to share information across agencies would also improve public safety and support more successful early intervention initiatives .
1
American Community Survey , ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates , 2019 : ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles . https :// data . census . gov / cedsci / table ? q = population & g = 0100000US _ 0400000US12 _ 0500000US12105 & tid = ACSDP5Y2019 . DP05 & hidePre view = false
2
American Community Survey , Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months , 2019 : ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables . https :// data . census . gov / cedsci / table ? q = poverty % 20children & g = 0500000US12105 & tid = ACSST5Y2019 . S1701
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