Generations United, FosterClub, and the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance advocated for improving access to mental and behavioral health services for children, young people, and their families. They demonstrated the urgent need to improve these services, the importance of involving young people and included ideas for improvement.
The recommendations from young people, parents and caregivers are:
- Provide timely and evidence-based prevention services that center family engagement.
- Ensure rehabilitation and treatment programs serve and support the entire family, to
include caregivers, and children, when providing treatment services for mental health - Create space for individuals with lived experience to serve as peer mentors and work to
deliver treatment programming and services to families. - Connect youth with trauma-informed mental health and family engagement services that address the root and systemic challenges and reasons for addiction including adverse childhood experiences and trauma.
- Address and support basic needs by providing services such as: housing, transportation,
food, education, employment, and childcare assistance.
