Linking Low-Income Families to Children's Mental Health Services

Abstract

An intervention designed to address barriers that interfere with access to children's mental health services for low-income families was implemented in three Oregon counties; four other counties were included as a comparison condition. The intervention involved the use of paraprofessionals called Family Associates who provided families with information, emotional support, and tangible assistance to reduce barriers to services. Families in the intervention group ( n = 96) were significantly more likely to initiate children's mental health services than were those in the comparison group ( n = 143); however, the groups did not differ in their rates of appointment attendance or discontinuing services prematurely. A modest but significant difference between the groups was found for family and service system empowerment, with the intervention families reporting higher levels of empowerment at post-test. The barriers to children's mental health services experienced by the intervention families and the barriers for which Family Associate services were provided are described.