The county Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday in favor of a proposal to improve behavioral health infrastructure, services and staffing to serve children and young adults up to age 25.
According to Board Vice Chair Terra Lawson Remer, the framework policies include:
Initiate a community dialogue about behavioral health challenges and unmet needs Leverage data as a way to assess service levels Identify service needs and gaps in youth care Establish a comprehensive plan focused on strategic investments in youth-oriented resources Ensure the county has the infrastructure, service capacity, and workforce to support children’s mental and emotional health Find ways to optimize Medicare payments
Lawson Remar, who made the proposal, said it’s “another important step” to provide the best possible behavioral health services.
“We’re narrowing our focus on children as a way to move service delivery further upstream,” Lawson-Remer added.
Lawson Remar’s office said there is a “growing and increasing demand” for behavioral health services for youth.
Lawson-Remer said the state ranked 51st out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in parents reporting difficulty accessing mental health care, and 50 percent of adults with behavioral disorders begin to show symptoms around age 14, Lawson-Remer added.
According to Lawson Remar’s office, the county will use the Optimal Care Pathways data tool created by the Behavioral Health Department to improve youth services.
Before the Sept. 24 vote, supervisors heard from residents, health care advocates and nonprofits who support improvements to youth behavioral health services.
The father of an 11-year-old boy with autism said young people like his son have very limited life opportunities once they leave school, and end up in emergency rooms or on the streets.
Robin Sales, chair of the county Action Advisory Committee, said she spoke out as a citizen in support of the framework.
“There are kids in this county who desperately need help at all levels,” Sales added.
Another man said he has a child with special needs and sees many families struggling, and that the proposal “brings hope to these families.”
Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
