LEBANON, Ind. – Mental health issues among children are becoming a growing concern around the country and in Indiana. That’s why the Indiana Youth Institute is teaming up with its community partners to help those who work with youth understand more about the options to get help in Indiana.
The forum will run from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 17 at Centenary United Methodist Church, 910 Fordice Road in Lebanon. According to data compiled in the upcoming 2016 KIDS COUNT® in Indiana Data Book from IYI:
• Nearly one in eight Hoosier children received treatment or counseling from a mental health professional in the past year.
• Indiana averages one provider for every 750 Hoosiers. In some counties, that ratio drops to one provider for every 14,000 residents.
• One in ten insured Hoosier children get mental health services versus about one in twenty for children without health insurance.
|
County |
Ratio of mental health provider to residents |
| Boone | 1 : 1,374 |
| Clinton | 1 : 2,992 |
| Hendricks | 1 : 1,212 |
| Montgomery | 1 : 1,232 |
| Hamilton | 1 : 802 |
| Marion | 1 : 436 |
| Statewide | 1 : 750 |
Katie Connel from the Children’s Mental Health Initiative and Amy Duncan with Aspire will speak to attendees about the resources available to help families get the care their child needs.
The Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) became available Statewide in March 2014. It builds a continuum of care for children with complex mental or behavioral needs who are at risk for entering the child welfare or juvenile delinquency system.
Attendees will learn about this initiative as well as the Child Mental Health Wraparound and Money Follows the Person programs in Boone County. Local resource providers have been invited to attend the event and share their services.
As part of IYI’s Youth Worker Café program, the forum and lunch are free, but reservations are required. RSVP by going to www.iyi.org/ywc. If you have trouble, contact IYI Statewide Outreach Manager Debbie Jones at djones@iyi.org.
Youth Worker Cafés are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations that will benefit children. This work is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of Boone County, the United Way Boone County office, Indiana Department of Child Services’ Boone County office, Boone County Guardian Ad Litem/CASA and IYI. This Youth Worker Café is supported in part by Old National Bank Foundation and Meridian Health Services.
If Lebanon schools are closed on February 17 this café will be rescheduled for February 24. For more information on the Youth Worker Café, contact IYI North Central Indiana Outreach Manager Michele Wiseley at mwiseley@iyi.org.
