Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Building a System of Care

According to recent studies, large numbers of children and adolescents with serious emotional or behavioral disorders receive either no mental health treatment or treatment inappropriate to their needs. In this article the authors examine the problem of unnecessary hospitalization and the inadequacy of community-based systems. They discuss the barriers that impede improved mental health service systems for children and their families and present the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) “system of care” model as an alternative. Last, counseling and development's role in promoting and fostering positive changes in the mental health system serving children and adolescents is discussed.