Collaborative for Children’s Mental Health
Helping children lead healthy and vibrant lives
In Wisconsin and across the country, children are suffering unnecessarily because their mental health needs are not being addressed. Good mental health is essential to a fulfilling and productive life. The consequences of leaving mental health issues undetected and untreated can compromise not only a child’s future but also a community’s vitality.
Early identification, intervention and treatment reduces lifetime costs for individuals, decreases suffering and improves the quality of life for children who are suffering from mental health problems, significantly improving their opportunity to lead healthy and vibrant lives.
The Johnson Foundation convened the Racine Collaborative for Children’s Mental Health after undertaking a six-month research project in 2011 to more fully explore the issue of children’s mental health, which resulted in the report: “Top of Mind: Children’s Mental Health in Racine – Highlighting facts and uncovering urgent needs.”
Top of Mind identified four key challenges to addressing the unmet mental health needs of children in Racine County:
- Poor System and Service Coordination
- Multiple Barriers to Access Care
- High Service Costs and Limited Funding
- Workforce and Service Shortages.
While all four areas reflect important aspects in addressing the unmet mental health needs of children, the Collaborative believes it is vital and timely to first analyze the root causes and real solutions to address the issues related to coordination of services and the ability to access care.
The Collaborative is exploring the answers to these two pressing challenges can make an immediate impact, while also providing additional insights into the more long-term issues of funding, service costs and workforce shortages.
The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread and the Racine Collaborative for Children’s Mental Health are recognizing National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day with the launch of Heroes for Health, a new online profile series to highlight the individuals and organizations in the Racine area who are committed to strengthening the social and emotional development of children.
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