Measuring service system coordination in managed mental health care for children and youth

Abstract

One of the greatest criticisms of the child and adolescent mental health system is that it is not a system, but rather a fragmented, limited, and poorly coordinated group of service providers and agencies. Complex problems, such as addressing the mental health needs of children and their families, are sometimes beyond the scope of any one service agency. As a result, agencies or individual providers must join hands to accomplish mutual goals. Measuring service coordination is critical to understanding the implementation of managed systems of care. As part of the Fort Bragg Evaluation Project's Implementation Study, a network analysis was conducted to assess the extent to which a coordinated system of care existed for military dependents at a demonstration site that implemented a case-managed continuum of care and at two comparison sites. This substudy addressed the overall organization and structure of mental health services available to all children and youth in these communities as well as the specific implications for the effects on the target population.