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will be stationed at EMHC in Attalla, Alabama. This location was chosen because of its
proximity to ADMH. The developer will build a relationship with organizations and politicians
to get these two policies changed successfully. Because advocacy is so time and labor intensive,
the developer may choose to have volunteers if he/she choose.
Part of the advocacy will be presenting a valid argument supporting the need for BHFAK
to ADMH. Data for this argument was be gained from piloting BHFAK. ADMH will have to
grant ADMH special permission to pilot BHFAK. The innovation can be piloted at Gadsden City
High School. The data gained from the pilot will hopefully strengthen the case for BHFAK, and
the developer can use it to get policies changed at the state level so that all schools within the
state can benefit from BHFAK. Data collection and analysis will be the duty of the developer.
Some of the data they collect and analyze is discussed later in this proposal.
Current political support for behavioral health treatment is at a high (Public Affairs
Research Council of Alabama, 2018). The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama
(PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to rank their top political concerns (Public Affairs Research
Council of Alabama, 2018). On this survey, mental health and substance abuse ranked number
four (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). Advocating to politicians, in particular
state legislators, could be very helpful for BHFAK. Politicians have a larger platform for raising
support and echoing the concerns of the current referral process. Because BHCs affects so many
families in the state of Alabama, many politicians would likely support and champion BHFAK
(Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). Alabama does not have a teachers’ union
(Legislature of Alabama, 1867). State law prevents public employees from being represented by
a union per se (Legislature of Alabama, 1867). Alabama does have the Alabama Education
Association (AEA); it is a professional organization that performs many of the duties of a trade
Object Description
| Title | Behavioral Health for All Kids |
| Author | Popham, Nathan Edward |
| Author email | nathan.popham@aol.com;nathanedwardpopham@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Social Work |
| Document type | Capstone project |
| Degree program | Social Work |
| School | Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work |
| Date defended/completed | 2020-07-24 |
| Date submitted | 2020-08-07 |
| Date approved | 2020-08-08 |
| Restricted until | 2020-08-08 |
| Date published | 2020-08-08 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Lewis, Jennifer |
| Abstract | The health gap is a grand challenge identified by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, n.d.). The behavioral health gap is part of the health gap (Bartram & Lurie, 2017). It represents two-thirds of youth with a behavioral health condition (BHC) not getting the care they deserve (Kaushik et al., 2016). The behavioral health gap is highest among children and those living in more rural states like Alabama, and access to care is a significant cause of the gap (Reijneveld et al., 2010). ❧ The Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) is the state’s largest provider for in-school behavioral health services (Alabama Department of Mental Health, 2010). These services provide youth with quality care at a convenient place with a reasonable cost (Alabama Department of Mental Health, 2010). Per interviews, referrals for these services are slow and ineffective throughout the state; thus, the current referral process inhibits access to care (Teresa Dawson, personal communication, June 3, 2019). ❧ Behavioral Health for All Kids (BHFAK) is a program within mental health centers aimed at reducing the behavioral health gap among Alabama’s youth by improving access to care through a timely ADMH-sponsored in-school referral process. BHFAK will operate under the auspices of the board of directors for community mental health centers, and it will gain financial support from mental health centers and the Alabama Education Association. BHFAK is forward-thinking by introducing an electronic referral application and behavioral health screenings to Alabama schools; both are novel within Alabama school systems. BHFAK will be implemented in the following phases: 1) update ADMH policies through advocacy efforts of an employed developer and the public so that any school staff can complete an electronic referral—current policy only allows paper-based referrals that must be completed by school guidance counselors or social workers, 2) provide school employees with a training on the behavioral health gap, how to screen youth for BHCs, and how to complete the referral, and 3) implement a cloud-based referral application. Advocacy efforts to get ADMH policy changed are the most pressing. ❧ The BHFAK website helps the public get involved with advocacy and provides a roadmap for the next steps. Soon after advocacy efforts are underway, special permission should be sought by the employed developer to complete a pilot study. Data collected from the pilot may help the developer in advocating for the policy change. In phase two of the training, school staff will become educated on the issues surrounding the behavioral health gap and when and how to use the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener and the Youth Externalizing Problems Screener (Renshaw & Cook, 2018; Renshaw & Cook, 2019). School staff can then make referrals based on the screeners scores. ❧ BHFAK aims to have short, intermediate, and long-term outcomes, and they are as follows in respective order: raise awareness about BHCs and create a desire by the state to address the issue, ADMH endorsement of policy change and acceptance of this innovation, and finally, ensure youth with BHCs get connected with services in a timely manner. BHFAK can improve access to behavioral health care for many youths and narrow the gap by helping Alabama utilize its resources to their full potential. It takes an outdated system and makes it up to date with policy change, education, and modern technology. Helping youth access care is instrumental in helping those youth live healthy and productive lives. BHFAK will spread from one community and county to the next throughout Alabama through the help of the developer. BHFAK could be used in school systems outside Alabama that also struggle with similar issues, and it holds promise as a model in school systems outside Alabama without the resources to directly employ behavioral health professionals. BHFAK teachings can be applied in part or whole. |
| Keyword | Alabama youth; behavioral health care; in-school therapy; Alabama Department of Mental Health; Behavioral Health for All Kids; BHFAK |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Popham, Nathan Edward |
| Physical access | The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given. |
| Repository name | University of Southern California Digital Library |
| Repository address | USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-PophamNath-8898.pdf |
| Archival file | Volume13/etd-PophamNath-8898.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 13 |
| Full text | 13 will be stationed at EMHC in Attalla, Alabama. This location was chosen because of its proximity to ADMH. The developer will build a relationship with organizations and politicians to get these two policies changed successfully. Because advocacy is so time and labor intensive, the developer may choose to have volunteers if he/she choose. Part of the advocacy will be presenting a valid argument supporting the need for BHFAK to ADMH. Data for this argument was be gained from piloting BHFAK. ADMH will have to grant ADMH special permission to pilot BHFAK. The innovation can be piloted at Gadsden City High School. The data gained from the pilot will hopefully strengthen the case for BHFAK, and the developer can use it to get policies changed at the state level so that all schools within the state can benefit from BHFAK. Data collection and analysis will be the duty of the developer. Some of the data they collect and analyze is discussed later in this proposal. Current political support for behavioral health treatment is at a high (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to rank their top political concerns (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). On this survey, mental health and substance abuse ranked number four (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). Advocating to politicians, in particular state legislators, could be very helpful for BHFAK. Politicians have a larger platform for raising support and echoing the concerns of the current referral process. Because BHCs affects so many families in the state of Alabama, many politicians would likely support and champion BHFAK (Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 2018). Alabama does not have a teachers’ union (Legislature of Alabama, 1867). State law prevents public employees from being represented by a union per se (Legislature of Alabama, 1867). Alabama does have the Alabama Education Association (AEA); it is a professional organization that performs many of the duties of a trade |
