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Importance of Mental Health among Youth

September 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by KevinMoshayedi

Mental health is not merely the absence of mental illness, but it also the ability to cope with the challenges in life. Mental health is as important as physical health to everybody. Youths usually experiment with attitudes, appearances, and behaviors. Most of their experiments are harmless, but some experiments may have terrible results. Children and youths experience mental health problem such as stress, anxiety, harassment, family problems, depression, learning disability, etc. Serious mental health problems, such as self-injurious behaviors and suicide, are increasing among youth. A good mental health is essential for leading a good life. Youth cannot succeed in academic and personal life effectively if they are struggling with a mental health problem, such as depression or unsteady feeling due to academic, social or family pressures. Failure to detect youth’s mental health problem may result in negative consequences such as increased risk for academic failure, social isolation, unsafe sexual behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide attempt, unemployment, and poor health. A recent report says, The rising rates of mental and emotional problems among U.S. children and youngsters signal a crisis for the country. Depression, anxiety, attention deficit, conduct disorders, suicidal thinking, and other serious psychological problems are striking more and more children and youths. Conservative estimates say one in every ten children and adolescents now suffers from mental illness severe enough to cause impairment.” Even if detected earlier, unfortunately many children and youth do not receive the help they need. Some reports are there that most children and youth who need a mental health evaluation do not receive services and that the rates of use of mental health services are also low.Parents and adults must take care of the youth’s mental health. The parents and adults must talk with the youth, be a good role models to them, advice them to choose good friends, and monitor their activities.There is a growing and unmet need for mental health services for children and youth. Mental health services are important for student’s and youth’s success. Prevention programs help in early identification of mental health problems in youth. These programs provide education on mental health issues, violence prevention, social skills training, harassment prevention, suicide prevention, conflict resolution, and screening for emotional and behavioral problems. The Family Guide Web sites are designed for parents and other adults to emphasize the importance of family, promote mental health, and help prevent underage use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. Good mental health is very important for youth’s success. In order to emphasize the importance of mental health in youth, the following steps can be taken: Create awareness of child and youth mental health issues; provide a comprehensive guide for effective and meaningful youth meetings for organizations and professionals; and Conduct programs to generate awareness about youth’s mental health in each communities. Awareness about the importance of mental health issues among youth equally important to other physical issues, such as heart disease, AIDS, cancer, etc. Local and state health officials must draw more attention to the importance of mental health treatment of affected children and youths. Attention to youth’s mental health will more effectively improve their life standard. This also positively impacts their academic and personal life achievements. The families, society and youths benefit only when mental health problems in youths are identified and prevented earlier.

Filed Under: Child Health Services Tagged With: , , , ,

Latest Trends in Health Insurance

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most Americans are beneficiaries of healthcare coverage in multiple ways which include private insurance coverage arranged by their employers, coverage purchased on their own and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. It is believed that about 160 million Americans enjoy employer-sponsored health insurance, and another 13 million have bought insurance directly from an insurer or HMO. Total spending for health care services continues to steeply rise – from .4 trillion in 2001 to an estimated figure of .1 trillion in 2012.

Insurance premium for people with private insurance have risen drastically in recent years. At the same time, consumers are also suffering because their out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and other cost sharing have gone up significantly over the same period.

While coverage availability has somewhat declined for those having employer coverage, a lackluster economy and high unemployment rate have intensified problems faced by those seeking individual coverage. The economists have to find ways to control increases in health care costs and to provide coverage for the uninsured.

Paying contributions, however small, towards health insurance policies discourage workers from joining the insurance scheme. Statistics reveal that about 20 percent of all uninsured people live in families where a worker has declined employer-sponsored insurance coverage. The refusal to avail employer-sponsored insurance is mostly because of the cost involved. For many, the health insurance is less of a priority compared to food and housing.

It must also be stated that the costs of private health insurance have risen steeply particularly in relation to a workers average earnings and general inflation. In the past three years, insurance premiums have increased between 10.9 and 13.9 percent annually, while workers’ wages have grown only between 2 & 3 percent.

The cost of health care is certainly burdensome for most Americans but it those with limited means are hit the hardest. Nearly 75% of low-income group adults reported some difficulty obtaining health coverage.

Consequently, 44 percent of low-income group adults remain uninsured at compared with only 13 percent of moderate- and higher-income adults in the non-insured category. Despite the fact that the United States is spending nearly 0 billion every year on tax incentives for health insurance, 46.6 million people still lack health coverage.

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The one redeeming news is children-especially those in low-income families have somewhat gained in insurance coverage. Even with regard to uninsured children, more than 50% of them are eligible for Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)-the two public insurance programs responsible for providing coverage to low-income group children.

Established in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program provides states the authority and funding to expand health insurance coverage to low-income children by broadening Medicaid eligibility, developing new child health programs, or a combination of both.

While Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program has effectively covered low-income group children, the same cannot be said for children in middle-income group families, for whom access to Medicaid and SCHIP is not easily accessible. Yet the unfortunate fact remains that racial and ethnic disparities in children’s health insurance coverage persist, despite all gains.
As public coverage is generally not available to adults, almost 50% of the increase in uninsured adults belong to the low-incomes group leaving their families at great risk for being uninsured.

Most Americans are beneficiaries of healthcare coverage in multiple ways which include private insurance coverage arranged by their employers, coverage purchased on their own and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. It is believed that about 160 million Americans enjoy employer-sponsored health insurance, and another 13 million have bought insurance directly from an insurer or HMO. Total spending for health care services continues to steeply rise – from .4 trillion in 2001 to an estimated figure of .1 trillion in 2012.

Insurance premium for people with private insurance have risen drastically in recent years. At the same time, consumers are also suffering because their out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and other cost sharing have gone up significantly over the same period.

While coverage availability has somewhat declined for those having employer coverage, a lackluster economy and high unemployment rate have intensified problems faced by those seeking individual coverage. The economists have to find ways to control increases in health care costs and to provide coverage for the uninsured.

Paying contributions, however small, towards health insurance policies discourage workers from joining the insurance scheme. Statistics reveal that about 20 percent of all uninsured people live in families where a worker has declined employer-sponsored insurance coverage. The refusal to avail employer-sponsored insurance is mostly because of the cost involved. For many, the health insurance is less of a priority compared to food and housing.

It must also be stated that the costs of private health insurance have risen steeply particularly in relation to a workers average earnings and general inflation. In the past three years, insurance premiums have increased between 10.9 and 13.9 percent annually, while workers’ wages have grown only between 2 & 3 percent.

The cost of health care is certainly burdensome for most Americans but it those with limited means are hit the hardest. Nearly 75% of low-income group adults reported some difficulty obtaining health coverage.

Consequently, 44 percent of low-income group adults remain uninsured at compared with only 13 percent of moderate- and higher-income adults in the non-insured category. Despite the fact that the United States is spending nearly 0 billion every year on tax incentives for health insurance, 46.6 million people still lack health coverage.

The one redeeming news is children-especially those in low-income families have somewhat gained in insurance coverage. Even with regard to uninsured children, more than 50% of them are eligible for Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)-the two public insurance programs responsible for providing coverage to low-income group children.

Established in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program provides states the authority and funding to expand health insurance coverage to low-income children by broadening Medicaid eligibility, developing new child health programs, or a combination of both.

While Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program has effectively covered low-income group children, the same cannot be said for children in middle-income group families, for whom access to Medicaid and SCHIP is not easily accessible. Yet the unfortunate fact remains that racial and ethnic disparities in children’s health insurance coverage persist, despite all gains.
As public coverage is generally not available to adults, almost 50% of the increase in uninsured adults belong to the low-incomes group leaving their families at great risk for being uninsured.

Filed Under: Child Health Services Tagged With: , , ,

Importance of the Mental Health of Children

August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Jack Clarke

In this complex and changing society it is recommended that parents become aware of the need to safeguard the mental health of children. Mental health, of course, is not just the home environment, but when the family atmosphere is healthy and the relations established within it love, children are likely to develop properly.

The concept of psychological disorder does not admit a single definition. To this must be added that in the continuum normal-pathology is not always easy to pinpoint where health breaks. Often the presence of a cluster of symptoms that create discomfort or interfere with children’s activity can speak of mental disorder. The anomaly occurs in cognitive, emotional, behavioral, social and relational or alters a child’s life considerably.

Mental disorder itself involves a loss of mental balance which limits the possibilities for personal fulfillment. Not to be confused with juvenile psychopathology, very common during the growing stage, as the Onychophagia (nail biting), opposition, lies tiny, poor hygiene, night terrors, etc.., Which may express mild immaturity, anxiety before certain situations or improper acquisition of a habit.

The higher infant-adolescent psychopathology may vary by age and gender, but generally affects aspects such as learning, development, behavior, nutrition, sleep, communication, etc.. The range is so wide that when parents have doubts, what is most appropriate to consult a specialist. Beyond the psychological or medical treatment is essential to involve the family.

Causes of disorders

The study of the causes of mental disorders usually reveals a combination of physical, psychological and social. Sometimes the causes predominantly biological (genetic abnormalities, brain dysfunction, etc.). Sometimes, however, the key is to be found in traumatic childhood experiences relating to assault, neglect, rejection, etc.., Whose negative impact depends partly on the strength of the personality of the child. The mental weakness in the early developmental stages can prevent assimilation of the conflict, which in turn increases the vulnerability and hampers development.

A third group of leading causes of psychopathology can be traced to social experiences. This applies, for example, family situations chaired by excessive rigidity, poor communication, lack of affection, overprotection, and so on. Nor can it ignore the sociocultural environment in the assessment of risks posed to children and adolescents. An environment characterized by corruption, repression, manipulation of mass media, economic poverty, pollution and alienation from nature, the abuse of technology, etc.., Is fertile ground for mental illness.

Clearly, the intervention of social factors is not readily separable from the psychological causes and biological aspects.The weighting of the different dimensions, to the extent possible, would probably require a detailed study of each case.

Family Changes

The family in Western countries are experiencing major changes known to all. Which is to say that the family is not exclusively a traditional system consisting of the father, mother and children born within marriage. The consequences of the conditions under which the family is vary, but it certainly increases as the break in the household, its members will be exposed to a greater number of psychological problems.

The model of family relations chaired by poor communication, the structural weakness or stiffness is one of the real causes of psychopathology in children and adolescents.Parents are now absorbed by the hustle and work the remaining time to devote to their children. Creature comforts at home are not always accompanied by interpersonal quality. A familiar landscape filled with electronic equipment leaves no room for the emotional meeting. In this context of increasing depersonalization find at least the following sources familiar mental disturbance:

*The parental permissiveness established as a reaction to the authoritarianism of the past has proved to be equally harmful to the social and emotional development of children. The structure corresponds to permissive family communities in which parents do not take their responsibilities or establish any kind of rules, which leads children to a dangerous confusion. Consider, for example, alcoholism and other drug dependencies.

*We must also take into account the isolation and individualism emphasized by some technologies (television, internet…) that are often used inappropriately or abused. In these circumstances, it is no wonder that in the younger segments of the population have increased electronic addictions.

*Family disintegration caused by separation or divorce. The consequences of cases vary considerably, but the conflicts and tensions at home can have negative effects on children and may push them toward violence, marginalization, and so on.

*The stress family situations of distress generated by economic requirements, etc.., harms mental health. In fact, children who come from disadvantaged social groups are more likely to experience psychosomatic illnesses: asthma, headaches, intestinal disorders, etc..

*Life events (death of a loved one, sexual abuse, leaving home for a parent, serious illness, addiction of a family member, etc..) also have negative impact on the mental health of children and adolescents.

Mental disorder itself involves a loss of mental balance which limits the possibilities for personal fulfillment. Not to be confused with juvenile psychopathology, very common during the growing stage, which may express mild immaturity, anxiety before certain situations or improper acquisition of a habit.

The higher infant-adolescent psychopathology may vary by age and gender, but generally affects aspects such as learning, development, behavior, nutrition, sleep, communication, etc. The range is so wide that when parents have doubts, what is most appropriate is to consult a specialist. Beyond the psychological or medical treatment, it is essential to involve the family.

Family life requires permanent care, touch, affection, understanding, values, attention to the seemingly trivial, sufficient stimulation and sensitivity to the uniqueness of each child. A family atmosphere of these features lights and gives the child the healthiest personal resources for the adventure of life.

Jack Clarke has been an author and content publisher for the past 12 years. He currently runs several review sites including Bernina Sewing Machines among many others.

Filed Under: Child Health Services Tagged With: , , ,

Children’s Oral Health Deserves a Specialist

August 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

No doubt about it. We intend to find the best people to provide medical care for our family, especially our children. We tend to give hours of thought to which pediatrician we will select to provide our newborns with their first exam on their birth day. We talk to friends and get comments, recommendations and opinions from everyone who has every dealt with a pediatrician to make sure our choice is the right one, the very best one. So how much effort should we put into selecting the dentist who will help us insure good oral health for our children? Depending on where you live, you may be lucky enough to consider a Lake Mary FL Pediatric Dentist and make your search easier.

Why a pediatric dentist? For the exact same reason you select a pediatrician; you want someone who has gone over and above minimum training to practice medicine and has spent some serious time studying and working with children and their particular health issues. A pediatric dentist has spent extra years over and beyond regular dentistry education to learn about the unique oral problems that children may develop. Over and above that, a pediatric dentist is going to be a person who truly loves kids and relates well to them. You can find those two critical traits in a Lake Mary FL Pediatric Dentist.

You also want to insure the pediatric dentist’s office is a welcoming and child-friendly place. Since the practice is catering to kids, the waiting room should set the tone with age-appropriate books, games, toys and perhaps the TV permanently tuned to the Cartoon Channel. You will find a Lake Mary FL Pediatric Dentist who can easily fit that requirement as well. But after finding a pediatric dentist who has great recommendations from friends and others and whose office is child appropriate, what is the next step in making this critical selection?

The pediatric dentist has to relate well to you as the parent. He or she must impress you with sincerity and qualifications before you can comfortably allow him to treat you child. The best way to determine if they are going to be a good fit for you and your kids is by making an appointment to talk to the dentist before he even lays a hand on your child or a puts a finger in his mouth. If a dentist objects to such an appointment, keep on searching; that one is not right for you and your family. You can find a Pediatric Dentist in Lake Mary Fl who will not only meet with you but will be glad to help you get the peace of mind you deserve while trying to do the very best for your children.

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Early Oral Hygiene for Excellent Dental Health

August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Excellent oral hygiene keeps the teeth healthy for a long time. Most dental diseases start from bacterial infection. To prevent bacteria buildup, the teeth and mouth should be cleaned regularly. The following are the three major indicators of good oral hygiene: the teeth are white and free of debris; the gums are pink and not sensitive when brushing and flossing; and chronic bad breath is not present.

Aside from consulting a dentist regularly, several at-home techniques are practiced to promote dental health from a very young age. A two-year old child should already be taught how to brush and floss. This will prevent bacteria from accumulating and attacking the teeth’s surface. Children should learn how to take care of their teeth early because they are especially vulnerable to cavity. Their parents must teach them these basics.

Brushing and flossing must be done twice a day. Each technique has a different impact on the teeth. Brushing mainly removes fresh debris from the teeth, including bits of food and minerals stuck in between teeth after meals. Dentists in cities like Bartlett are stringent with this oral hygiene practice because it plays a great role in preserving the dental structure.

Flossing is a supplementary procedure to brushing. The nylon filament passed between the teeth removes all debris that the brush was unable to dislodge. It reaches normally inaccessible spots in the mouth and keeps bacteria from reaching the gingiva or gum. A bartlett dentist recommends flossing to prevent gingivitis and severe periodontal diseases. Flossing scrapes away hardened plaque and tartar that serve as breeding grounds for bacteria.

Parents must be aware of how significant fluoride is in maintaining their children’s dental health. Without fluoride to regularly mineralize their teeth, bacteria can easily accumulate and produce destructive acids. Bartlett dentists and their colleagues elsewhere recommend the use of fluoride-rich toothpaste during brushing and mouthwash for gargling.

A balanced diet is also of tremendous importance in keeping excellent oral hygiene. The teeth cannot achieve optimum health simply through brushing and cleaning. Healthy food gives the teeth immunity against bacterial infection. According to Bartlett pediatric dentistry practitioners and other professionals in the field, a child must eat a balanced diet even before his or her first tooth emerges. 

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Anger Management For Control Over Children And Their Mental Health

August 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Adolescent anger management is becoming more prominent in our society. Traditionally, children who enter this last acute phase of bodily and mental development can go through some rough times. As kids enter their preteen and then their teenage years, chaos can ensue at times for everyone involved. A child or young adult may feel that his or her body and mind are out of control occasionally, and the parents and teachers who supervise children at this age may tend to agree. Anger can spring out of nowhere to challenge innocent requests and reasonable expectations. Yet kids between the age of twelve and sixteen sometimes react in unpredictable ways, surprising those around them and even themselves and requiring the intervention of adolescent anger management strategies.

Today’s teens face even greater pressures than those of the past. By age eighteen, most have witnessed thousands of murders on television and video games. Some are involved in violent or illegal gang activity. Others come from broken homes where domestic violence and substance abuse are the norm. By the time they start going through puberty, their entire existence may seem out of their control, and they may grow increasingly enraged, acting out their anger in antisocial ways that require adolescent anger management.

Adolescent Anger Management and Juvenile Delinquents

Sadly, many teens experience frustrations that drive them to vent anger toward people or things, breaking civil laws. This type of behavior often leads to incarceration, or at the very least, intervention by parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, and juvenile experts who attempt to train children how to respond in age-appropriate ways. Adolescent anger management programs teach kids individually or in peer groups how to identify negative feelings, work through them in the right kind of ways, seek help when needed, and practice more mature behaviors.

During periods of time spent at juvenile detention centers, teens involved in adolescent anger management programs can learn how to improve their behavior in socially acceptable ways. Therapists can help to point out alternative attitudes and behaviors to teens who have never seen positive responses to everyday irritations modeled for them by responsible adults. They may be able to learn directly from the therapist how to manage difficult feelings, and they can read resource materials or visit websites like anger-management-information.com (site is not complete yet) for more information about this condition, and how to address it. They will find others like themselves who are learning how to get along with people and accept the situations that cannot be changed.

Community Adolescent Anger Management Programs

If you have or work with a teenager that is struggling with angry outbursts and a poor attitude, get in touch with a teacher or psychologist at your child’s school or a community social services organization that can direct you to self-help resources or a local adolescent anger management group that might be willing to admit your child. Letting unresolved anger fester or continue to be displayed in dangerous ways can lead to serious consequences. Get your teen the help that is needed for coping with this behavioral disorder.

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Pediatric Dentistry – How to Maintain Good Oral Health

August 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Maintaining good oral habits is very important to oral health. Teeth, like other body parts, requires regular maintenance to stay clean and healthy. The best thing to do is to start developing healthy habits from a very young age.

During infancy stage (before the age of 2), the teeth of babies are still rather fragile. Therefore, teeth should be cleaned gently using a damp cloth on a regular basis. When the infant grows older to 2 years old, a tooth brush with soft bristles is highly recommended. As for tooth paste, try not to use products that are meant for adults. These products tend to be too heavy in fluoride. Pediatricians recommend using products that are developed specifically for children. Such products tend to be milder and are more suitable for young children. Also, avoid using fluoride mouth washes for children.

Good teeth cleaning habits start from a very young age.

For example, you can teach a child to clean his teeth after every meal. Brushing teeth twice a day will be sufficient.

The only thing you have to be careful about is the amount of fluoride used in teeth brushing. An overdose can cause white spots to appear on the teeth. For young children, only a small amount of fluoride is required with each brushing. To determine the exact amount to use, be sure to check with your pediatrician.

Fluoride is the primary ingredient that helps to prevent cavities. You can’t clean teeth properly without using it, and you can’t use an amount that is too heavy for a child. So the best thing to do is to start from a small dosage, and then increase the amount gradually as the child grows older. Of course, be sure to keep your pediatrician in the loop so that if you are doing something incorrectly, your pediatrician can advise you quickly.

In the beginning, young children will not know how to handle tooth brushes correctly.

The proper brushing techniques will have to be taught to the child. Book an appointment with your pediatrician and have the child learn proper brushing techniques together with the pediatrician. Improper brushing can lead to unclean teeth or even bleeding gum.

For the first couple of weeks or so, you will need to spend time personally with the child to ensure that the child forms the right brushing habit. You also have to be prepared to monitor the brushing techniques to ensure that the young child is doing things correctly. If you spot some mistakes, make sure you correct the child immediately. When you feel that the child can undertake the task in a satisfactory manner, you can stop the monitoring.

Of course, children tend to forget teeth brushing sometimes. Some may grow tired of the brushing and deliberately test your patience by “forgetting”. All you have to do, is to give them gentle reminders every now and then.

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Michael Moore’s Sicko Review – A Documentary of the “Sickening” Health Care System in America!

August 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Sam Smith

There couldn’t be a better word to describe Michael Moore’s latest film “Sicko”. Traveling through the health care world in the United States brings on a new era of realization of how “Sickening” the health insurance industry of America really is.

Almost 50 Million Americans live without health insurance in America. As bad as that is, some insurance companies make it extremely difficult to get any insurance claims at all for the rest of the 250 million Americans that do have health insurance coverage.

Sicko, documents a case where a man had accidentally sawed off two of his fingers, the index finger and the middle finger. When the man was taken to the hospital, he was given a choice – sew back the index finger for ,000 or sew back the middle finger for , 000 – his choice was to keep his index finger, and keep a place for his sacred wedding ring.

This is not an uncommon story in the American health insurance industry, as Sicko depicts that health insurance companies will do whatever it takes to deny a recipient benefit claims.

Another example from Sicko is of a child who was taken to the nearest hospital, after her high fever of 104 would not come down. When she and her mother got to the hospital, they were informed that their HMO, Kaiser Permanente, would not cover the little girls health treatment costs, and that she has to be taken to a hospital that is affiliated with their HMO Kaiser Permanente. After arguing and desperately pleading with the hospital to treat the child there, and not transfer her to a different hospital, by the time the little girl did arrive to the HMO’s affiliated hospital, the little girl Mychelle, was pronounced “expired.”

Michael Moore also takes note of other countries health care systems compared to the American system and profiles countries such as Canada, England, and France – all which provide a free health care system.

In Canada, they can give their thanks to Tommy Douglas, who implemented the universal health care system, known as the Universal Medicare Legislation created in 1961.

In England, they have the NHS – National Health Service, which provides the majority of healthcare in England, from general practitioners to hospitals, long-term healthcare, dentistry and ophthalmology. Founded in 1948 it has become an integral part of British society, culture and everyday life.

In France, they have a system which offers unlimited sick days, vacation time starting at 4 weeks, and to top it off, free nurse and nanny care for new mothers. France was also given the title of “best health system in the world” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2000.

Why is it that countries like Canada, England and France are able to offer their citizens free health care, and be so generous and kind, and then on the other side, the American system being so cruel and cold-hearted?

Sicko, explores the tragic and failing health care system in the United States of America, and can be viewed nationwide hitting the box offices on June 29th, 2007.

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February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

August 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s not well known, but February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDH), a month dedicated to promoting and raising awareness about oral health for children. The effects of early childhood dental health have been shown to decrease the risk of disease in later years of life. Poor dental habits exhibited in early childhood often continue into adulthood, with potential to affect speech, nutrition, economic productivity, and even the overall quality of life. Therefore, good oral health must start in the early years of our youngster’s lives. This action is easier said than done, with access to oral health care facilities becoming an increasingly difficult problem for many lower-income families throughout the country; people who do not have dental insurance are suffering from the repercussion.

The main cause of this problem is the lack of options, for example: look at all the places you have to access medical care compared to dental care. Unlike medical care, dental care is generally provided with only one or two dentists with limited capacity. This limited capacity means dentist can’t compensate for low medicaid fees or missed appointments. With nearly 93% of the nation’s dentists in private practice, and 70% in solo practice, poor access to oral health care has been a persistent problem that state regulation has failed to address for decades.

According to a study conducted by an American Dental Association, the four most common dental procedures rendered for children were: periodic oral evaluation, bitewing radiographs, prophylaxis, and fluoride treatments. These types of basic oral care services are typically available in pediatricians’ and family physicians’ offices, along with anticipatory guidance from your caregiver. By seeking out dental care through this other option it’s an opportunity for all families to improve overall oral health, prevent dental disease, increase awareness, and support preventative future services for young children.

With millions of children affected by dental disease because of lack of oral health care, education services are needed in our society to teach families how to attain dental care for their families. The consequences of poor oral hygiene for young children could lead to chronic pain, missed school days, poor nutrition, and poor self-esteem throughout life. By providing awareness with an oral health promotion program we can significantly reduce the amount of children with unhealthy dental hygiene throughout America.

 

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Bridging the Gap Between Community and Residential Mental Health Treatment

August 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For the past 20 years, especially since the introduction of system-of-care philosophy and practices, there have been tensions between community-based and residential treatment providers that serve children, youths, and families in need of mental health care. Community-based mental health providers have voiced concern that their residential treatment colleagues keep children too long and fail to demonstrate the effectiveness of their services. Residential treatment providers have asserted that their community-based colleagues do not collaboratively support their efforts, assist with discharge planning, or provide intensive service options as necessary follow-up. Families and youth have often expressed mixed reactions and opinions about both sets of mental health providers, asking that all providers become more family driven and youth guided and encouraging them to create a more integrated array of services.

In this climate, made all the more complex as systems vie for limited resources, a group of residential and community-based mental health treatment providers, policymakers, families, and youths, under the auspices of the Center for Mental Health Services, began a dialogue in the fall of 2005 to discuss ways to improve relationships and practice. The result was the initiative now known as “Building Bridges.”

From this dialogue, a group of national leaders in the field of children’s mental health participated in the first Building Bridges summit in June 2006. Inspired by compelling youth and family voices, summit participants drafted and signed a joint resolution of common principles and a shared commitment to a comprehensive, flexible, individualized, strength-based, family-driven, and youth-guided array of culturally and linguistically competent services and supports. More than 20 national mental health organizations and 19 agencies have since endorsed the joint resolution.

Building Bridges calls for restructuring the relationships among residential mental health treatment and community-based providers, families, and youths. The paradigm promotes shared responsibility and shared commitment, regardless of service needs or treatment setting. Accordingly, post-summit activities included identifying residential treatment programs and communities across the country that are implementing innovative practices consistent with the principles of the joint resolution, and seeking input from families and youth about what they consider effective practices.

Among the many promising practices embraced by Building Bridges, the use of child and families teams is fundamental. Teams use a wraparound process that gives treatment planning and service delivery a sense of purpose and accountability. CFTs bring together the expertise of residential treatment and community-based providers and capitalize on the strengths of youth and families as part of a long-term recovery-oriented plan.

Residential treatment programs and their community partners across the nation are improving their efforts to ensure that treatment is family driven and youth guided by implementing practices advocated by Building Bridges such as CFTs; hiring family and youth advocates; developing youth and family advisory councils; providing education and support to increase self-advocacy skills; integrating cultural and linguistic competence; and implementing trauma-informed care, thereby reducing the need for restraint and seclusion.

Advocates and policymakers are recognizing that residential treatment is part of the service array and that coordination and collaboration are essential to improving outcomes.

Below are some ways in which community and residential treatment providers can support the work of Building Bridges:

> Establish relationships and dialogue across all constituent groups, including families, youths, community-based mental health providers, residential treatment providers, advocates, and policymakers.

> Develop protocols and practices to make entry into residential treatment and the transition back to the community a seamless, supportive, and coordinated process.

> Support youths and families during their time in residential treatment programs with participation in community-based mental health programs and support services, thereby facilitating timely and smooth transitions home.

> Continue to implement trauma-informed, family driven, youth guided, culturally and linguistically competent and evidence-based practices.

> Support the development of and become active members of child and family teams.

> Convene meetings and dialogues among constituencies to promote conversations about Building Bridges.

In September 2007, a second summit reinforced the initiative and set an agenda to promote reform across the country. Several workgroups were created, and several products have been developed or are in development: a document on innovative best practices in linking community-based and residential treatment services, a matrix of performance guidelines and indicators, a self-assessment tool for residential treatment and community providers, family and youth “tip sheets,” and research to identify needed fiscal and policy reforms. Plans are underway to continue the important work of this initiative and bring the principles of Building Bridges to a national scale. By collaborating as partners, we can ensure that children, youths, and families thrive.

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