Demand for mental health services for children has once again accelerated as the latest Covid-19 surge impacts daily life. Lack of resources in the community have resulted in delays in care for children experiencing anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Vera Feuer, MD, talks about the challenge of expanding mental health care access, and how health systems can partner with school districts to bridge that gap.
She shares the success of the Northwell School Mental Health Partnership, which contracts with 30 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties, to bring mental health care services directly to the places where kids and families revolve. This has resulted in a significant reduction, she says, in schools referring students to the emergency department, as well as increasing rates of follow up care.
Vera Feuer, MD, is AVP for School Mental Health for Northwell Health's Behavioral Health service line. She is also the Director for Pediatric Emergency Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Urgent Care, part of Cohen Children's Medical Center; and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
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