The Mokihana Program: The effectiveness of an integrated department of education and department of health school-based behavioral health approach.

Abstract

As a result of difficulties with access to care and resulting low levels of service utilization, the mental health problems of children often go undiagnosed and untreated. One of the most promising approaches to increasing access to care is the delivery of mental health services in school settings, where almost all of the children in a community can be accessed. However, as a result of competing needs, cultures, and objectives, integrating mental health services into schools can be challenging. In the wake of a devastating hurricane in 1992 and efforts to identify and treat children with posttraumatic stress, many of these barriers were overcome on the island of Kauai, Hawaii and led to the development of the Mokihana Program, an integrated Department of Education and Hawaii Department of Health initiative for providing school-based behavioral health services. This study examined the effectiveness of the Mokihana Program in the treatment of 123 elementary age children and 56 adolescents by comparing teacher ratings of behavior problems and adaptive skills at intake and at 1-year follow-up. It was hypothesized that symptom severity would decrease from pretreatment to follow-up. Findings showed statistically significant improvements across a wide spectrum of behavioral problems and adaptive functioning. The authors explore the challenges and opportunities in sustaining and replicating this type of departmental integration in the service of children and youth.