Family Connections

Family Connections: A Community-Based Approach to Expanding Mental Health Access and Engagement for SED Youth

The Family Connections study, is intended to disrupt disparities in mental health treatment access for children at-risk for childhood trauma (ACEs) and/or serious emotional disturbance (SED). "Family Connections" will use mobile clinical and family support teams to improve mental health outcomes. This clinical innovation, nested in an integrated system-of-care will be piloted for children, ages 3-18 yrs., with SED who receive primary care through Cambridge Health Alliance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 3 through 18 years (17½ years maximum at time of enrollment)
• Referred by Primary Care Physician's (PCP) from one of the three Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) primary care intervention sites to the Family Connections team for an integrated child mental health and/or substance use disorder clinical assessment.
• Positive screen on CHA's standard pediatric mental health and substance use screening instruments, and/or parental concern about possible mental health/substance use needs, and/or PCP concern about possible mental health/substance use needs
• Enrolled in MassHealth

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects over 17.5 years (SAMHSA data collection required at 6 and 12 months after enrollment which must occur before age 18 years.)
• Youth who are not enrolled in MassHealth
• CHA patients with PCP located at CHA primary care site other than the identified intervention sites