Family-Centered Mental Health

Overview

For years, mental health has been like a stepchild in the medical world. Surrounded by fear and plagued by stigma, mental illnesses are often shrouded in myth, secrecy and misunderstanding. Yet, mental illnesses do not respect age, race or gender. And few families escape dealing with them.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in 10 Americans experiences some disability from a diagnosable mental illness every year. The most severe mental illnesses – schizophrenia, manic depression, major depression, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder – affect some five million Americans. An estimated 12-15 percent of American children have mental and emotional disorders.¹

The result is a lot of misery for patients and their loved ones. Families typically face many challenges as they cope with family members who have mental health problems. Some have learned to manage difficult circumstances adroitly. At the same time, some families may feel isolated from friends and relatives. And, they may face crippling costs for treatment, education, or other services.

There is hope, however. Every day, scientists shed new light on the workings of the brain and the interplay between biology and behavior. Studies show mental illnesses can be diagnosed, treated, and, to an extent, prevented. Moreover, treatments for some mental illnesses have a better track record than therapies – no questions asked – done routinely for serious physical ailments.

In recent years, “family-centered mental health care” has developed as one approach to ease pain and suffering, enhance treatment and help families experience the joy of normal daily life.

Family-centered care capitalizes on the strengths of families by ensuring they are equal partners in the planning, use and evaluation of services. It views the troubled child or family member as a whole person and the family as a whole unit. And it empowers families to make decisions about their lives.

Family-centered care also provides services families need to help their troubled loved ones live successfully within their homes and communities.

1. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. 1986. Children's Mental Health: Problems and Services – A Background Paper . (p.4). Washington, D.C. US Government Printing Office.

General principles

• Provides treatment that is affordable, culturally and spiritually sensitive
• Offers prevention and early intervention services
• Recognizes family members, including children, as primary resource in
• designing services
• Coordinates treatment across disciplines and among agencies
• Extends treatment and services to the whole family
• Provides supports families need to help children or adults with special needs
• live successfully within their communities

See also: Federation of Family and Children's Mental Health Principles of Support:

Conference Breakout Session Poster:

The full image is 34K.

Summary of conference notes

Key mental health web sites

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health – This national parent-run organization addresses the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders from birth to adulthood, helps ensure rights to full citizenship, support and access to community–based services, provides information and advocates regarding research, prevention, early intervention, family support, education and other supports.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill -- This nonprofit group focuses mostly on supporting people with severe or persistent mental health problems and their families.

National Mental Health Association 800-969-NMHA -- This is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Arlington, VA The web site has a Children and Families section http://www.nmha.org/children/index.cfm

BehaveNet -- offers directories of academic centers, advocacy organizations, boards of examiners, law, forensic examiners, providers, treatment guidelines and mental health laws of some states.

National Institute of Mental Health -- Established in 1946 as part of the National Institutes of Health, this institute supports research of mental illness and health. Offers lots of specific disease-related information.

National Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) -- This site is run by the Center for Mental Health Services, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It provides links and referrals to consumer and family advocacy organizations, federal, state and local mental health agencies, national clearinghouses and technical assistance centers.

Center for School Mental Health Assistance – Funded by the U.S. Office of Adolescent Health, this center is based at the University of Maryland and offers technical assistance to promote the expansion and improvement of mental health services for children and youth in schools. Has a library with resource materials and produces a newsletter.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – This page contains specific information about specific conditions affecting children.

National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health -- Based at Georgetown University, this center has information packets, issue briefs and monographs on children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances.

Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health Services – Run by the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida, this center conducts studies of children with serious emotional disturbances and service system research; Also conducts annual conferences.

National Resource Network on Child and Family Mental Health Services -- Run by the Washington Business Group on Health, the network offers technical assistance in developing family-focused, culturally competent, community-based, multi-agency service delivery systems at 29 sites for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families. Focuses on policy issues and legislation in these areas. It's funded by the U.S. Center for Mental Health Services.

Research and Training Center for Family Support and Children's Mental Health – Based at Portland State University, this center conducts research and training focuses on family support issues, family/professional collaboration and diverse cultural groups.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs –

Internet Mental Health -- This site offers information about medications, disorders, organizations, journals and newspapers, articles and an online magazine.

Mental Health Net -- This site bills itself as the largest online guide to mental health resources on such disorders as depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Run by a Dublin, Ohio company specializing in mental health information, this site also has journals and self-help magazines.

Psychiatric Times -- Run by Mental Health InfoSource, this site offers late-breaking news and abstracts that cover current research in mental illness or issues in the mental health field.

Research highlights

Models/Best practices

Strategies and public health approaches

Charting the Mental Health Status and Service Needs of Children -- This is a Feb. 4, 1998 report written by the UNOCCAP Oversight Board to the National Advisory Mental Health Council and includes 7 recommendations.

Mental Health Parity – An Interim Report to Congress – This is the summary of a May 1998 report by the National Advisory Mental Health Council on the costs and issues involved with mental health parity

Principles of the System of Care Applied to Behavioral Managed Care – This was prepared by the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.