How to Change Mental Health Services for Youth

There are not many adequate and complete mental health services available to youth in the United States.  A change is necessary to provide the best care for teens and kids. Changes need to be made to mental health services in order to make the system more effective and accountable.

• Change the funding priorities. Most jurisdictions allocate more funds toward disciplining juvenile offenders which is a valid expense. However, mental illness is an issue for youth and could be the reason for the negative behavior. Some juvenile offenders engage in unlawful behavior because of a mental health disorder. A portion of the funds need to go towards youth mental health programs. Additional treatment programs should be established for youth offenders. This leads to less juveniles engaging in criminal behavior.


• Make mental health services easier to access for youth. Many parents are not eager to enter their youth in a mental treatment program because of the difficulty finding it. An option is providing mental health services at the school level.


• Develop an extensive mental health program for youth with dual diagnosis. Many youth with mental health illness are dealing with substance abuse problems and will need substance abuse treatment. Substance abuse and mental illness will need to be addressed at the same time instead of separately. A youth with substance abuse problems and a mental illness is headed down a vicious cycle. The two conditions will feed off and negatively impact each other. Providing a comprehensive program to address both issues will lead to a higher success rates for youth.