State Wants to Hear from Youth, Families, and Providers on Behavioral Health Needs

Nebraska officials want to know what services are important to Nebraska children and teens when they face serious behavioral health challenges, so they’re asking the youth, their families and community providers to complete a survey.  The survey period is open until November 22.

The results of the survey will help the Department of Health and Human Services and system partners, such as advocacy groups, children’s agencies, schools, the justice system and the faith community, work with families and youth to develop a strategic plan for a system-of-care approach to providing services for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families.

“We want to strengthen the collaboration of state and local efforts to weave mental health supports and services into seamless systems of care for children and youth with mental health needs and their families,” said Scot L. Adams, director of the Division of Behavioral Health at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The survey includes questions about the accessibility of services, family involvement, and system strengths and weaknesses.  It is available at http://go.unl.edu/nesoc.

DHHS was awarded $504,413 from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a system-of-care expansion planning grant.

“The focus of the funding is the coordination of resources in communities to improve a young person’s health and well-being,” Adams said.