Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Promoting the health of looked after children: a study to inform revision of the 2002 guidance
- Authors:
- MOONEY Ann, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 52p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This study aimed to provide an evidence base to assist the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health in revising the guidance 'Promoting the Health of Looked After Children'. The report summarises the research and statistical evidence on the prevalence and nature of health problems among looked after children and the characteristics of the population of looked after children, as well as published evidence on how well their health needs are being met and the views of young people themselves. It also includes an overview of findings from the stakeholder interviews illustrating the differences between the guidance and current practice, the main areas of difficulty with the guidance and suggestions from interviewees about what might be done to address these difficulties. Chapter 3, draws on evidence from JAR reports, Healthy Care Programme briefing papers and local audits as well as from information provided by interviewees. Conclusions are drawn in chapter 5 using all the data sources for this study.
The ChA-PAS interview: for the assessment of mental health problems in children and adolescents: handbook and clinical interview
- Authors:
- MOSS Steve, FRIEDLANDER Robin, LEE Pauline
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 88p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment Schedule (ChA-PAS) Interview is for the assessment of mental health problems in children and adolescents with learning disabilities. It has been developed from the adult PAS-ADD system, which has become widely used within adult services. The ChA-PAS Interview aims to improve the quality of reports from those with the deepest knowledge of the child or adolescent, including family members, support staff and care staff. Skilled clinicians may also include responses from the child or adolescent where appropriate. Designed to improve the evidence base for child and adolescent psychiatric assessment, this unique resource aids the process of skilled diagnosis and formulation. Scores on the interview score forms are summarised in a way to help this process. The handbook and clinical interview is mapped closely to existing psychiatric practice and includes guidance on thresholds for diagnosis and specific requirements of both ICD 10 and DSM-IV-TR classification systems.
Stop passing the parcel
- Author:
- KHAN Lorraine
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 21.2.08, 2008, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Children with mental health problems are being passed between services, often ending up in jail where their problems are only exacerbated. The author, of the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, calls for better community-based solutions. The author highlights the need for: early screening and intervention, better integrated working, improved access to services, in-patient treatment assessments, diversion, and better resettlement services.
Development and implementation of a child welfare workforce strategy to build a trauma-informed system of support for foster care
- Authors:
- KERNS Suzanne E.U., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Maltreatment, 21(2), 2016, pp.135-146.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Effective strategies that increase the extent to which child welfare professionals engage in trauma-informed case planning are needed. This study evaluated two approaches to increase trauma symptom identification and use of screening results to inform case planning. The first study evaluated the impact of training on trauma-informed screening tools for 44 child welfare professionals who screen all children upon placement into foster care. The second study evaluated a two-stage approach to training child welfare workers on case planning for children’s mental health. Participants included (a) 71 newly hired child welfare professionals who received a 3-hr training and (b) 55 child welfare professionals who participated in a full-day training. Results from the first study indicate that training effectively increased knowledge and skills in administering screening tools, though there was variability in comfort with screening. In the second study, participants self-reported significant gains in their competency in identifying mental health needs (including traumatic stress) and linking children with evidence-based services. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the viability of this approach to increase the extent to which child welfare professionals are trauma informed, aware of symptoms, and able to link children and youth with effective services designed to meet their specific needs. (Publisher abstract)
The Brief Assessment Checklists (BAC-C, BAC-A): Mental health screening measures for school-aged children and adolescents in foster, kinship, residential and adoptive care
- Author:
- TARREN-SWEENEY Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 35(5), 2013, pp.771-779.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
More than half of children and young people in foster, kinship, and residential care, as well as those subsequently adopted from care, have mental health difficulties that require clinical formulation and intervention. While an increasing number of alternate care jurisdictions are instituting universal mental health screening, existing measures may not adequately screen for a range of attachment- and trauma-related mental health difficulties observed among these populations. The Brief Assessment Checklist for Children (BAC-C), and the Brief Assessment Checklist for Adolescents (BAC-A) are 20-item caregiver-report psychiatric rating scales designed to: 1. screen for and monitor clinically-meaningful mental health difficulties experienced by children and adolescents in various types of care; and 2. be safely administered and interpreted by health and social care professionals other than child and adolescent mental health clinicians. The BAC-C/A were also designed to be used as brief casework monitoring tools by foster care and adoption agencies, and for treatment monitoring in CAMHS. The BAC-C and BAC-A were derived from the Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC, 120 items) and Assessment Checklist for Adolescents (ACA, 105 items) respectively. Internal consistency of BAC-C (N = 347) and BAC-A (N = 230) scores were 0.89 and 0.87 respectively. The BAC-C/A were highly accurate in screening for clinical range ACC and ACA scores (area under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.96 to 0.99), as well as for CBCL clinical range scores (AUCs: BAC-C = 0.89 to 0.92; BAC-A = 0.93 to 0.94). They were moderately accurate in screening for children that caregivers reported had been referred to mental health services (AUCs: BAC-C = 0.74; BAC-A = 0.79). Initial BAC-C/A psychometric properties compare favourably with that of existing screening instruments, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Brief Problem Monitor (CBCL short form). (Publisher abstract)
A novel CAMHS risk assessment system: clinicians’ views
- Authors:
- DANIEL Matthew R., WEIR Steve, TIFFIN Paul A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Practice, 15(3), 2013, pp.182-191.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to record and analyse clinicians’ views of the proposed FACE Child and Adolescent Risk Assessment Suite (CARAS). This is a novel risk assessment system comprising a set of screening questions and domain specific sub-schedules intended to be implemented in electronic format within a youth mental health setting. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted with a series of focus groups conducted with three Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) teams drawn from general and specialised services in a large NHS Trust in North-East England. A thematic analysis was used to explore the perceived clinical relevance, clarity and utility of the items that are contained within the FACE Child and Adolescent Risk Assessment Suite. Findings: Emerging themes highlighted that items such as criminality and fire-setting be added to the violence risk assessment schedule; a structured approach for risk of sexual harm be utilised; and an eating disorder risk assessment be included. Practical implications: Clinicians viewed the FACE Child and Adolescent Risk Assessment Suite as a structured and comprehensive risk management tool that also demonstrated potential clinical utility. CAMHS clinicians’ views of the potential benefits of risk assessment schedules appear to be influenced by the perceived balance between comprehensiveness and ease and rapidity of administration. Further studies relating to validity and reliability are currently ongoing. Originality/value: This is the first qualitative exploration of a comprehensive and flexible approach to risk assessment in a youth mental health setting. (Publisher abstract)
Mental health needs in adolescents with intellectual disabilities: cross-sectional survey of a service sample
- Authors:
- HASSIOTIS A., TURK J.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25(3), May 2012, pp.252-261.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Despite mental health needs and service use being relatively high across the lifespan of those with intellectual disability, relatively little is known about these needs during adolescence. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of mental health needs and service use in adolescents (n=75) with intellectual disabilities in one area of Southern England. Individual assessments were carried out, the main outcome of which was the presence of mental health needs measured by the Developmental Behaviour Checklist. Prevalence of mental health needs increased from 51% as reported by parents to 67% as judged by clinical interviews. Having a need was associated with low adaptive functioning, diagnosis of autism and family history of mental illness. High scores on parent reports of participant mental ill-health showed negative correlations with adaptive functioning scores. Most individuals were in receipt of social and health care. Half of the participants had sought help for mental health problems. Almost half of those receiving medication were on psychiatric medication. It is concluded that adolescents with intellectual disabilities may have considerable mental health problems that are functionally impairing but often unidentified and hence untreated. The authors believe that identification of those at risk and comprehensive needs assessment are essential to maximise potential and quality of life and to reduce further deficits and social exclusion.
An evaluation of the provision of mental health services for looked after young people over the age of 16 accommodated in residential settings
- Author:
- OFSTED
- Publisher:
- OFSTED
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 17p.
- Place of publication:
- Manchester
This Ofsted report describes the results of a survey of 27 children’s homes in 8 local authorities, including one secure children’s home and a residential special school registered as a children’s home, to identify how the mental health needs of young people in care aged over 16 are being met. Young people receiving a service which focused on behaviour management were excluded. The survey found that access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) was inconsistent, ranging from a good service to none. Features identified as most helpful in meeting the needs of these young people included comprehensive assessment on entry to identify mental health needs, access to a range of specialist services, good communication and collaboration between mental health professionals and care staff, no unnecessary delay in funding or providing suitable services, staff with a good understanding and awareness of young people’s needs, and effective engagement and consultation with young people. Factors found to work against young people in terms of positive achievement included their unwillingness to engage with specialist workers because of prejudices linked to mental health, poor arrangements for transfers from child to adult mental health services, lack of services in rural areas, and difficulties with the sharing of information. Recommendations for improved services aimed at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department of Health, and local authorities are given.
The role of specialty mental health care in predicting child welfare and juvenile justice out-of-home placements
- Authors:
- GLISSON Charles, GREEN Philip
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 16(5), 2006, pp.480-490.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This longitudinal, prospective study examines the role of specialty mental health care as provided by community-based, usual-care practice settings in predicting out-of-home placements among children served by a child welfare and juvenile justice system. The mental health needs of 1,249 children from 22 counties in Tennessee were assessed when the children were referred for child welfare and juvenile justice, in-home, case management services. The outpatient specialty mental health care received by the children in the 6-month period following the referral was recorded using the Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents and reimbursement records of TennCare. Children were then followed for 1.5 years to identify those who were subsequently placed in out-of-home care. A majority of the children needed specialty mental health care, but most of these children did not receive it. This is important because their need was the best predictor of subsequent out-of-home placement. The odds of an out-of-home placement in the follow-up period were reduced by 36% to 40% for those children who received specialty mental health care. The authors conclude that improved systematic screening for mental health problems and access to specialty mental health care for children referred for in-home child welfare and juvenile justice case management services are promising strategies for reducing out-of-home placements.
Snapping into place
- Author:
- MEIER Richard
- Journal article citation:
- Young Minds Magazine, 70, May 2004, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- YoungMinds
Looks at the development of child and adolescent mental health services in Scotland. Highlights the Scottish needs Assessement Programme's Report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH), commonly referred to as SNAP.