A Roadmap for Improving ​State-Delivered
Children's Mental Health Care

Across the U.S, only 50% of youth who need mental health care receive it, and of those who do get care, only half of parents report that the treatments (non-medication) their kids receive are effective. 

The IDEAS Center is dedicated to changing that. 

Our focus: better understanding state policymakers' decision-making processes and providing tools to help them integrate the latest research evidence into day-to-day policymaking.  And helping States to more effectively and efficiently deliver care to two of their most high-need and high-cost populations:  youth visiting emergency department (EDs) for mental health problems, and youth with first episode psychosis.

Read here to learn which states are more likely to provide evidence-based children's mental health care.  And learn about our newly-launched IDEAS  national survey to better understand the how child mental health policy is made at the state level, and policymakers' preferences for receiving research evidence. This survey and simulation model will provide a 'roadmap to better care' and insure that scientific research findings drive state-delivered child mental health care services that youth and their families receive.  

Learn more about our study to more efficiently diagnose mental health problems in the ED and connect youth to community care, as well as our study to better engage families and youth with first episode psychosis into treatment.

“The IDEAS Center is the only NIMH-funded ALACRITY Center laser-focused on the policy arena, and better integrating scientific research evidence into state child mental health policymaking processes.  The research they are conducting will provide states with a roadmap – concrete steps that states can take to build a portfolio of services based on scientific research, and improve the quality of care that children and families receive." ​

- Donna Bradbury, M.A., L.M.H.C.
​Associate Commissioner 
Division of Integrated Community Services for Children and Families
​New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)