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The Children’s Mental Health Division administers policy and practice to ensure effective and accessible mental health services and supports for children and families in Minnesota. The division works together with many public and private partners across the state so that children and youth with mental health needs can develop and function as fully as possible in all areas of their lives.
Emotional or mental health problems can develop at any age. Many children have mental health issues that can seriously affect aspects of their lives:
• Studies estimate that mental health problems affect one in five young people at any given time.
• Many children and youth experience emotional disorders, such as depression, anxiety and attention-deficit, conduct and eating disorders.
• In Minnesota, 9 percent of school-age children and 5 percent of preschool children have a serious emotional disturbance, which is a mental health problem that has become longer lasting and interferes significantly with the child’s functioning at home and in school.
• An estimated 109,000 children and youth, birth to age 21, in Minnesota need treatment for serious emotional disturbances.
• Children and youth with a serious emotional disturbance experience risks related to reduced graduation rates, increased involvement with juvenile corrections and more substance abuse problems.
The Children’s Mental Health Division guides numerous strategic initiatives to more successfully meet and treat the needs of children and youth struggling with or at risk for mental health issues. The division invests resources toward transforming the children’s mental health system to:
• Increase earlier identification and intervention
• Improve access to the right services at the right time
• Establish best practices and improve standards of care
• Coordinate mental health care with school, medical and community environments
Mental health matters at every stage of life and requires an integrated continuum of services ranging from prevention to recovery. The Children’s Mental Health Division is committed to creating consistent quality, access and accountability for these services through comprehensive diagnostic assessments and evidence-based treatments that consider children’s characteristics, circumstances and culture. These efforts will result in better outcomes and reduce health care disparities among children.
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day in 2013 is day intended to raise awareness about how essential positive mental health is to a child’s healthy development from birth. Minnesota continues to focus on the theme of building the resilience of children and youth dealing with trauma. Early adverse experiences are common and can profoundly affect health and social behaviors later in life. As the number of traumatic events in childhood increases, the risk for problems in adulthood increases.
Research emphasizes the importance of early childhood as a time for encouraging resilience. “We are beginning to understand that trauma creates risk for behavioral health consequences on a magnitude similar to the relationship between smoking and various physical diseases” said Glenace Edwall, Director of the Children’s Mental Health Division at Minnesota Department of Human Services. “It is a pressing public health issue, and children’s wellbeing is most immediately affected.”
A resiliency-oriented children’s mental health system:
• supports promoting resiliency while reducing risks and stabilizing symptoms
• provides access to a complete continuum of care across developmental ages and stages
• ensures quality of services for more effective treatment of mental health needs
Positive relationships and environments that support healthy development (cognitive, emotional, physical, and social) provide the foundation for acquiring the resources and skills needed to cope and adapt to adversity throughout and beyond childhood. There are many effective efforts in our state promoting resilience in children and youth.
May 9th is a day to encourage communities in Minnesota to create nurturing environments that strengthen protective factors that increase children’s general resilience and support their competencies and sense of connectedness.
The Children’s Mental Health Division is offering a full-day training on the administration and interpretation of the Child & Adolescent Service Intensity Instrument (CASII) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The CASII and the SDQ are outcome measures to be used with all children ages 6 - 21 receiving mental health services paid for through Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) and CMH Infrastructure Grants.
For more information: CASII and SDQ Training Flyer
This 36-hour training (six-hour classes at each of the six sessions) is designed for new county children's mental health case managers to meet the training requirements in Minnesota Rules 9520.0912, subpart 4. Participants will fulfill the remaining four hours of the required 40 hours of training through self-directed learning and/or completion of an in-service seminar provided by the Department of Human Services. Persons required to attend this training are county children's mental health case managers who do not have 2,000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of services to children with severe emotional disturbance. This includes persons with a bachelor’s degree without 2,000 hours of experience, as well as persons qualifying as case manager associates and certain immigrants as defined under MS 245.472, Subd. 4 (h) 2.
Part I, July 10 - 11: Case Management Mission, Philosophy and Structure
Part II, July 24 - 25: Skill Development
Part III, August 7 - 8: Legal and Ethical Considerations
For more information: Training Flyer
Minnesota’s consultation service is open for calls from pediatricians, family practice physicians, psychiatrists and other practitioners Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. The statewide toll-free number is:
Although children on Medical Assistance fee-for-service are the first priority for this service, the service is taking provider calls relating to any type of children’s mental health issue that arises with any child in Minnesota. As a service to the community, consultants are also initiating calls to prescribers who may be affected by new Medical Assistance requirements regarding psychotropic medications.
As announced in a recent press release, the Minnesota Department of Human Services entered into a two-year contract with the Mayo Clinic to develop and provide a statewide, collaborative psychiatric consultation service. The contract includes many features which were recommended by the Children’s Psychiatric Consultation Protocols Workgroup.
For more information: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/psychconsult
This legislation was passed by the 2007 Legislature and signed by the governor. The initiative was based on the recommendations of the Minnesota Mental Health Action Group, builds on legislation passed in 2006 and includes $34 million in new investments over the coming biennium to continue improving the accessibility, quality and accountability of publicly funded mental health services. The 2007 legislation reintroduced several components of the 2006 legislation and includes new improvements based on recommendations from consumers, advocates, family members, counties and providers since the last legislative session. For more information about the 2007 legislation, click on the following links:
The Children’s Mental Health Division and Adult Mental Health Division submitted a joint application for the federal government Community Mental Health Services Federal Block Grant (FBG) for 2012-2013. The 2012/13 MHBG Behavioral Health Assessment and Plan describes the public mental health system in Minnesota; identifies needs, priorities, goals and indicators; and describes the proposed use of the FBG. The current application is for a 21-month period October 1, 2011, to June 30, 2013. As part of the application, states must submit an annual “Implementation Report” which reports on the previous year’s utilization of the grant funds, progress toward the goal targets, and data required for the federal Universal Reporting System Basic and Developmental Tables. The 2012-2013 application, as well as the 2013 MHBG Behavioral Health Report on implementation and progress, is available online.
Public input is sought in developing and updating the application on an ongoing basis. Please provide input in writing to Ann Boerth at the Children’s Mental Health Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 64985, St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0985; or e-mail to Ann.Boerth@state.mn.us.
The terminology used to describe people with developmental disabilities has changed over time. While DHS supports the use of “people first” language within its documents, certain outdated terms may be found within historical and official documents, such as statutes and reports.
The Community Mental Health Services Federal Block Grant monitoring visit of the Chemical and Mental Health Services Administration occurred from September 21 to 23, 2010. The monitoring team reviewed materials and spoke with leadership and staff of the Children’s Mental Health Division, Adult Mental Health Division, State Operated Services Division, Carver County Community Social Services, advocates, members of the Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health, and other stakeholders.
Children’s mental health: Transforming services and supports to better meet children’s needs
For more information about the Children’s Mental Health Division, please call (651) 431-2321.
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