The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new brief titled “Access to Mental Health Care for Ohio Children and Youth.”

The brief is the third in HPIO’s Ohio Child Mental Health Project.

Many Ohio children and youth are struggling with mental health conditions. Early identification and treatment can keep them on a path toward well-being and realizing their full potential. However, families around the state are encountering various barriers to getting children the treatment they need, including critical provider shortages (as illustrated above), high costs of care and difficulties navigating the health and insurance systems.

Further, significant gaps in data availability are limiting policymakers’ ability to make data-driven decisions regarding how to improve access to mental health care, which could improve the well-being of young Ohioans and decrease costs for years to come.

This brief focuses on access to mental healthcare services across levels of care. As part of the release, HPIO is also releasing a community voice spotlight on parent and caregiver experiences with barriers to child and youth mental health care.