With the toll the pandemic has taken on youth in terms of isolation, missed experiences and fragmented learning, children and younger people are struggling to access resources to address their increased mental health needs.
Colorado Access, one of the largest public sector health plans in the state, has partnered with local non-profit organisation Kids First Health Care (Kids First) to address behavioural health care for this group, integrating it with primary care at schools and ultimately making it more accessible and effective.
A recent survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) showed that 40% of Colorado youth experienced feelings of depression in the past year. In May 2022, Children’s Hospital Colorado said the state of emergency for paediatric mental health had worsened in the past year.
AccessCare, the telehealth subsidiary of Colorado Access, utilised its Virtual Care Collaboration and Integration (VCCI) programme to partner with Kids First to offer virtual therapy initially in five local school-based health centres but has since expanded to all eight clinics – six school-based health centres and two community clinics.
From August 2020 to May 2022, this programme had a total of 304 visits with 67 unique patients. According to Kids First, this is an increase in the need and delivery of services compared to what they have seen in the past. There are many reasons for this but one is clear: services are accessed through school-based health centres.
This partnership also allows the school-based health centres to coordinate physical health care with behavioural health care. Through the programme, a student first meets with a physical health provider – often after being referred by an academic counsellor or teacher – to identify any physical health needs and discuss needs and options for mental health services. From there, physical and behavioural healthcare are integrated to provide a more holistic model of care. Specific conditions that require both physical and mental health treatment, like the case of an eating disorder, especially benefit from this approach.
“This type of support is lifesaving,” said Emily Human, Clinical Initiatives Manager for Kids First Health Care. “The programme helps patients recognise the importance of mental health and aids in reducing the stigma around seeking mental health services.”
Since its inception in July 2017, more than 5,100 encounters have been completed through the VCCI programme at Colorado Access. Currently, the VCCI programme is fully integrated into 27 primary practice sites throughout metro Denver, now including eight sites in partnership with Kids First. As the programme continues to see success, Colorado Access and AccessCare intend to collaboratively expand these efforts to meet the growing need and increase access to care.
“The success of this partnership with Kids First shows that innovative solutions can make a direct impact in the lives of those who need it most,” added Annie Lee, President and CEO of Colorado Access. “We look forward to building capacity and offering solutions to meet our partners’ needs through continued investment in our AccessCare subsidiary.”