Mental Health
Making the right diagnosis, finding a mental health professional and obtaining health insurance coverage are the main challenges families face. Many insurers do not provide equal benefits for mental health services as they do for other general medical services. There are often long waiting lists to receive quality services. Patients who have a "dual diagnosis" of developmental and / or medical conditions along with their mental health condition seem to have the most difficulty finding appropriate services.
The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has compiled a list of Greater Cincinnati and national resources that provide mental health services for specific conditions, support groups, and individual, group and family therapies.
Mental Health Services | Case Management | Dual Diagnosis of Mental Health / Developmental Disabilities | Screening Tools | Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency | Suicide | Weighted Vest | Advocacy / Support Groups | Mental Health Parity Law | Additional Resources
Mental Health Services
Insurance coverage, financial assistance programs, condition, age specific expertise and geographical considerations are important in selecting a mental health provider. Some clinics offer sliding-scale fees based on ability to pay.
- Cincinnati Children's Division of Psychology
- Cincinnati Children's Division of Psychiatry
- Surviving the Teens, developed by the Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children's, provides information, resources and support to help guide teens and families.
- Cincinnati Children's College Hill Campus Residential Treatment Program provides a place where children who need psychiatric care over extended periods of time can receive treatment. The program is for children ages 9 to 17 whose stay is between one to 12 months.
- Cincinnati Academy of Professional Psychology web site provides an online search for psychologists by area, psychologist or specialty area.
- Beech Acres Parenting Center
- Cancer Family Care
- Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio provides mental health counseling to children and adults.
- Centerpoint Health is a comprehensive behavioral health care provider.
- Central Clinic provides evaluation, behavioral therapy and counseling services for children and adults.
- Child Focus, Inc. supports individuals and families in Clermont County through their Behavioral Health Care and Early Childhood Divisions. Their Clermont County Crisis Response Team offers crisis intervention, education, referrals and follow-up services.
- The Children's Home of Cincinnati
- Clermont Counseling Center
- Community Integrated Training and Education (CITE) services, a division of RHC (Resident Home Corporation), offers school-based and home-based behavioral support consultation and programs.
- Family Service of the Cincinnati Area
- Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board provides instructions on accessing mental health services in Cincinnati to meet specific needs, including emergency care.
- Lindner Center of HOPE, located in Mason, Ohio, is a private, non-profit facility providing mental health care diagnostic and treatment services in the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana region. They serve adolescents, adults, and senior adults who need mental health and substance abuse care and provide outpatient services, short-term, hospital-based inpatient services as well as longer-term, private, voluntary live-in-services.
- Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) is the "front door" for access to community mental health services in Hamilton County and provides support, care and connections for individuals, couples and families.
- Mental Health Services Locator, a nationwide tool for locating mental health services.
- St. Joseph Orphanage provides ACT Case Management Services, therapeutic foster care, day treatment, crisis stabilization unit, intensive outpatient treatment, mentoring and after-school programming.
- The Altercrest Campus has behavioral and intensive residential treatment and community transition programs.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers resources and facts about various mental health conditions.
Find additional information about mental health services in Kentucky and Indiana.
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Case Management and Other Specific Programming
- Hamilton Choices is a nonprofit corporation partnering with communities to provide care management. Choices builds a network of resources into a system of care to change lives.
- Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) is the "front door" for access to community mental health services in Hamilton County and provides support, care and connections for individuals, couples and families.
- St. Aloysius Orphanage offers foster and adoptive services, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, kinship programming and more.
- St. Joseph Orphanage provides ACT Case Management Services, therapeutic foster care, day treatment, crisis stabilization unit, intensive outpatient treatment, mentoring and after-school programming.
- Talbert House offers drug and alcohol treatment services.
- Women's Crisis Center provides crisis intervention services to victims of domestic violence.
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Children and adults with developmental disabilities may also have mental health needs requiring intensive behavioral supports. Contact your local Ohio County Board of Developmental Disabilities to see if you qualify for services.
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities is also looking into establishing a limited number of New Futures Waivers to specifically target:
- Children with developmental disabilities under age 14 who need significant behaviorally focused interventions, which could include individuals having a diagnosis that falls within the autism spectrum, and/or individuals with a dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and mental health/severe emotional disturbance
- Children who meet the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (ICFMR Level of Care)
Patterns of challenging behaviors might include intense tantrums, excessive activity levels, withdrawal, self-stimulatory movements, aggression toward others, destruction of materials, and injury to self. The waivers, when available, will cover services up to $20,000 per year for specialized supports that could include psychosocial services, respite care and community inclusion.
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Screening Tools
The screening tools listed below are available online free of charge to assist parents and professionals in assessing mental health issues. However, concerns should always be discussed with your health care provider. A mental health diagnosis is made only after consultation with a qualified professional.
Mental Health / Behavior
ADHD
Autism
Substance Abuse
- CRAFFT screens for adolescent substance abuse issues.
Suicide
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Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency Programs / Resources
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Suicide Programs / Resources
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Weighted Vest
- In Your Pocket is a commercial web site that offers either a sewing pattern ($29) for an individual who wants to make their own weighted vest or will customize a vest for a particular child ($55-75).
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Advocacy / Support Groups
- H.E.L.P. (Helping Everyone Live Positively) is a support group for young adults, ages 18 through 30, learning to cope with mental health issues. Meetings are held at St. Monica / St. George Church in Cincinnati. Email for information.
- Mental Health Association of Southwest Ohio (MHA) advocates for improved care for the mentally ill, working with state, local and national groups to increase awareness of the needs of the mentally ill. They also maintaina listing of mental health support groups.
- Mental Help Net has information and resources to promote mental health education and advocacy. They have current news, book and article reviews as well as links to self-help groups and online discussion forums.
- The Self-Help Group Sourcebook Online provides detailed information on how to start online support groups, message boards, chat rooms and email discussion groups. They also have resources to help you find existing online support and discussion groups.
- MindPeace For Children's Mental Health, a project of the Junior League of Cincinnati in collaboration with Cincinnati Children's, is working with community members to significantly improve the mental wellness of children in the Greater Cincinnati Area. This web site contains information on education, resources, support groups and events.
- National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is a non-profit, grassroots, self-help and advocacy organization for individuals with severe mental illness. Local support group information is one of the many services offered, in addition to educational programs such as Hand to Hand and Family to Family. Local chapter information is provided.
- NAMI Ohio has state information.
- NAMI Hamilton County has monthly meetings, a lending library and offers the Hand-to-Hand Family Education Program and the Family-to-Family Education Program, designed to learn advocacy and coping skills.
- Ohio Advocates for Mental Health provides advocacy, education and assistance.
- Ohio Federation for Children's Mental Health is a nonprofit organization supporting youth with mental health issues and their families. They focus on education and advocacy and work directly with individual families, agencies, systems, legislators and policymakers. They provide information on accessing mental health services, conduct workshops and publish a quarterly newsletter.
- PsychCentral.com provides information on chat rooms and online support groups in all areas of mental health.
See Support Groups for additional resources.
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Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act of 2008
The new federal Mental Health Parity Law, effective October 3, 2009, will require that companies with more than 50 employees offer equal coverage for physical health care and mental or behavioral health care. For example, if a company health plan offers 30 days of inpatient coverage for cardiac care, then it must offer 30 days of inpatient coverage for a mental health diagnosis. Also, if a plan offers out-of-network coverage for physical health care, it must do the same for mental health care. The law also ensures that substance abuse treatment is covered. The law, however, does not identify which mental illnesses or how many visits should be covered. That decision is left in the hands of the individual health plan. The law will eliminate the discriminatory copayments, deductibles and other restrictions that had been used to reduce coverage for mental illness. This will make a big financial difference for patients and families. The biggest victory in the law's passage is the recognition that mental illnesses are real illnesses. Benefit changes should be seen in health insurance policies that take effect in January 2010.
Ohio Mental Health Parity Law
The law provides that individual and group health plans, and public and private self-funded health benefit plans must provide benefits for the diagnosis and treatment of biologically based mental illnesses. The mandated mental health benefits are subject to the same co-payments, deductibles, cost sharing requirements and managed care as the coverage for physical illnesses. Biologically based mental illnesses are defined by the law as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive order, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.
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Additional Resources
- Health Topics information from Cincinnati Children's is available on mental health conditions and diagnoses.
- ABOUT: Mental Health Resources is an internet search engine specific to mental health information.
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provides information as well as a resources for families section.
- American Academy of Pediatrics provides mental health information including links to organizations, services and resources.
- American Psychiatric Association provides information and resources.
- Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation has information and resources.
- Cope.Care.Deal: A Mental Health Site for Teens is an interactive mental health web site that helps teenagers deal with their feelings.
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance has information and resources on mood disorders.
- Devereux Early Childhood Initiative (DECI) provides information and resources to promote social and emotional development in young children.
- Families for Depression Awareness provides information and supports to assist families and individuals facing depression or suicide.
- Focus Adolescent Services provides comprehensive information and resources for families coping with teens and mental health issues. They also have a state directory, including specific resources in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
- Incredible Years has program materials for parents, educators and health professionals working with children who have aggression and behavior challenges.
- Internet Mental Health offers descriptions of the 54 most common mental health disorders, descriptions of psychiatric drugs, self-assessment tools, and research information.
- Kidshealth provides information about understanding children's feelings and emotions, including depression and anxiety.
- Mental Health America addresses all aspects of mental health and mental illness.
- Mental Health Dictionary, developed by the National Mental Health Information Center, provides definitions for mental health terms and phrases.
- Mental Health Report from the Surgeon General explains mental health and disorders among children.
- National Association for the Dually Diagnosed provides education, information, and training on mental health issues relating to persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
- National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health provides information and resources.
- National Institute for Mental Health provides information on disorders, research and clinical trials.
- National Mental Health Information Center, operated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, provides information on a variety of mental health-related topics and issues.
- ParentsMedGuide and PhysiciansMedGuide help patients, families and physicians make informed decisions about obtaining and administering the most appropriate care for a child with depression.
- The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is a parenting and family support program to prevent severe behavioral, emotional and developmental problems in children.
- United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA) provides information on social, educational, occupational, behavioral and cognitive interventions aimed at long-term recovery and self-sufficiency for individuals with mental illness. You can find a chapter in your local area.
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If your questions are not fully answered by our Special Needs Resource Directory and its links, please contact us via email.
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