Though Kansas dropped from 18th to 23rd in a national ranking of health system performance, it improved dramatically in its percentage of children who received needed mental health care, the Kansas Health Institute News Service reported. The Commonwealth Fund ranked Kansas in eighth place in the mental health care measure, up from 28th in 2007. But the report noted that more than 1 in 4 Kansas children who needed mental health care didn’t get it — so there is still room for improvement.
As for Kansas’ overall drop in the rankings, Jason Eberhart-Phillips, health director at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, likened it to changing “seats in a rowboat that’s still running in last place” — referring to the World Health Organization’s ranking of the U.S. health system as 37th in the world.
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Treating mental illness in Kansas remains a problem.
Just consider the posts of WE Blog CONs.
From my observation, a lot of the behavior problems of kids is from bad parenting. What I mean by that is mentally and verbally abusing kids at home because the parents are too busy, apathetic, have used the TV/Video game as a baby sitter and don’t get involved in their child’s activities as a sponsor or even a spectator.
This leaves kids to ‘make up their own rules’ and head on out to life’s challenges on their own.
The excuse for pill-popping to keep kids in line while in school has gotten out of hand and has mad matters worse.
You can always tell the kids with problems as their reaction is almost always inflammatory and their response is refractive with obsenities. They learned this from their parents; that is, not learning to deal with situations in a mature manner.
Of course, there are the silent ones. The ones that need the real help and have real biochemical imbalances that were genetic or induced by trauma.
I remember an outreach program I was assisting on for runaway kids. The kids were happy to see us – for an adult that wasn’t scolding them or taking control of their lives. They wanted someone to listen and someone to talk to, that’s all.
We must show kids we care by being there for them.
“From my observation, a lot of the behavior problems of kids is from bad parenting. What I mean by that is mentally and verbally abusing kids at home because the parents are too busy, apathetic, have used the TV/Video game as a baby sitter and don’t get involved in their child’s activities as a sponsor or even a spectator.”
There is no question that abuse, neglect, and lack of coherent structure at home can result in children with behavior problems. On the other hand, when a kid has hallucinations and screams that someone is tormenting him, that is not just bad parenting. When a child literally can not control her emotions and is obsessed with knowing everything that happens to her for the next six months, that is not just bad parenting. And in fact, some of the roughest kids in our schools come from outstanding parents, but their kids have neurological and psychiatric issues that require intelligent treatment.
Then their are the kids with bad parents, horrible home lives, and internal mental health issues, and their situations just break your heart.
“Regular” is now — also — an expert on parenting.
Perhaps he should stop blogging ’til he cures all cancer. It’s obviously within his skill-sets.
The report must not have taken a good look at the services in Sedgwick County.
Comcare (Sedgwick County owns) does not do a good job on providing services in a manner quick enough to help the children.
I agree that Sedgwick county is lacking, but thats probably because they are so large.
Kansas’s implementation of the SED waiver was a huge plus for the mental health treatment. Other states model the program. The problem being as always, once these kids turn adult, they’re dropped.
Regular, I know that sometimes it is bad parenting that causes behavioral problems. But often those are the kids who WON”T get the help they need. I’ve seen it over and over again, the parents don’t want anyone snooping around their business.
There are still problems…one, there aren’t enough inpatient centers anymore that will keep a child for more than stabilization care. That also goes for adults, but a lot of that is due to insurance mandates.
Right now, we need to concentrate on opening up group homes for mental health…residential facilities for both adolescent and adult. And we need to change laws on adult mental illness. Ever since my daughter turned 18 and stopped taking her meds, her mental illness has taken over her life and mine. I’m hopeless to help her now. This is my biggest struggle right now, far more than my son’s issues with autism.
Oh, and remember when I said the state dropped his services earlier in the year? We changed waivers, and he is now receiving services again, different ones, but at least we’re now getting what we need.
The odd thing, the services now are more expensive than had he stayed in the program we had for him before. I wonder if the lawmakers understood what they did there?
Just drug all kids.
Nice example of “compassionate” CONservatism, “Pleefer.”
Yuck. Should be…
“Then there are the kids with bad parents, horrible home lives, and internal mental health issues, and their situations just break your heart.”
Back to the subject of the thread, I am glad to read that now more kids who need mental health services are getting them. However, the question as to whether they are getting through their services the treatment and support they actually need is a more difficult question to answer.
One thing is absolutely true, however. The consisent source of services, adequate or not, are going to come through the state, not private donations through charity (although they of course help).
Monkeyhawk, you’re an idjit.
It was sarcasm and I’m not compassionate nor a conservative.
Fuch yourself…mmkay?