Advocacy Group Claims Children Not Getting Mental Health Services

A children’s advocacy group wants Missouri to pay more attention to children with emotional problems. Citizens for Missouri’s Children estimates there are 90,000 Missouri children with serious emotional problems. Health Policy Analyst Joe Squillace notes the State Department of Mental Health serves only 11,000 of those children. He says the state could adjust current contracts with health maintenance organizations to better serve emotionally disturbed children and he says the state legislature needs to look toward longer-term solutions to the growing problem.