Accessing child mental health services in Massachusetts... from bad to worse...

At tonight's South Shore Mental Health Board meeting, CEO Harry Shulman cited a recent Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation study regarding Massachusetts' mental health workforce (sorry, I don't have the specific reference). Though we have a significantly higher rate of psychiatrists and social workers per 100,000 population than most other states, a survey of nearly 2,000 children's mental health providers found that advocates, pediatricians and families report difficulty in accessing care. Of note:

• 216,000 children in Massachusetts have a diagnosable mental health disorder, 70,000 of which are deemed "severe"
• 32% of providers are not accepting new patients and another 39% have only 1-2 open slots available for new patients

And here's the one that caught my attention:

• 54% of providers of children's mental health services between the ages of 35 and 54 plan to leave direct care or Massachusetts within 5 years

Perhaps too much can be read into such statistics, but they do point out that the current problem of difficulty in accessing child mental health services is likely to get worse. Patients with untreated mental health concerns experience a greater number of health problems, a shorter life span, and suffer from a deterioration in quality of life.

What's the solution?