HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - The system to treat children's mental health is failing, overburdened with patients and suffering from issues such as a shortage of funding and staff, medical professionals claimed while testifying before a legislative forum on children's mental health.
"Connecticut lags behind other states in establishing universal school-based mental health services, critical to helping our kids. With children returning to in-person learning, having on-site medical health support is critical. Untreated mental health issues result in poor educational performance. This is not just treating kids' mental health, but treating the whole child," Chief Behavioral Health Officer Howard Sovronsky at Connecticut Children's Medical Center said.
As for the system being overwhelmed, Dr. Linda Mayes Chief of Child Psychiatry at Yale New Haven Hospital said, "We have over 70,000 visits and we are at capacity to see the number of children we are seeing. We're asking not to cut services that are even needed right now."
In addition to funding concerns, officials said the lack of qualified staff presents a big challenge.
Officials suggest one remedy is to find a way to streamline the credentialing and licensing of telemedicine providers from outside the state so they can work here.