title: Feasibility of shelter-based mental health screening for homeless children.
abstract: Homeless children are known to be at risk for mental health and behavioral disorders due to housing instability and family and environmental risk factors, such as domestic violence. However, homeless children seldom receive screening for mental health and behavioral disorders with validated instruments. Moreover, few examples exist of programs that integrate outreach, screening, referral to appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic services, and care coordination. We describe early results of the Medical Home for Homeless Children Project, whose nurse care coordinators work with homeless families to conduct standardized nursing assessments that include evidence-based screening for child mental health and behavioral disorders with referral and case management for mental and behavioral health services. Screening identified a group of children with mental health issues that warranted referral, and many of those referrals were successfully completed.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-Jacksonville, Department of Psychiatry, Jacksonville, FL ; University of Florida-Jacksonville, Center for Health Equity & Quality Research, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Partnership for Child Health, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-Jacksonville, Center for Health Equity & Quality Research, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Livingood
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-Jacksonville, Center for Health Equity & Quality Research, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smotherman
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-Jacksonville, Department of Pediatrics, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldhagen
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-Jacksonville, Center for Health Equity & Quality Research, Jacksonville, FL ; University of Florida-Jacksonville, Department of Pediatrics, Jacksonville, FL.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009726:Nurses; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration*