title: Trends in characteristics of children served by the Children's Mental Health Initiative: 1994-2007.
abstract: Data from 14 years of the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program were used to understand the trends of the emotional and behavioral problems and demographic characteristics of children entering services. The data for this study were derived from information collected at intake into service in 90 sites who received their initial federal funding between 1993 and 2004. The findings from this study suggest children entering services later in a site's funding cycle had lower levels of behavioral problems and children served in sites funded later in the 14 year period had higher levels of behavioral problems. Females have consistently entered services with more severe problems and children referred from non-mental health sources, younger children, and those from non-white racial/ethnic backgrounds have entered system of care services with less severe problems. The policy and programming implications, as well as implications for local system of care program development and implementation are discussed.
authors.affiliation: ICF Macro, New York, NY 10038, USA. cwalrath@macrointernational.com
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walrath
authors.forename: Lucas Godoy
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Garraza
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azur
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miech
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leaf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States