Impact of a Learning Collaborative to Improve Child Mental Health Service Use among Low-Income Urban Youth and Families.

This study examined the impact of a nine-month learning collaborative that was adapted from the Breakthrough Series Collaborative Model to improve mental health service use among urban youth and families who sought care at twelve participating mental health agencies between October 2004 and June 2005. A secondary analysis was conducted of data pertaining to: (a) initial show rates for first intake appointments for all new evaluations of children and adolescents and (b) attendance at any scheduled clinic appointment subsequent to the first kept intake appointment. During the course of the collaborative, an average increase of 14 percent in the rate of attendance at child mental health intake appointments (the equivalent of 448 more children attending) was evidenced. More modest gains in rates of ongoing involvement were noted. Collaborative learning environments can be useful for enhancing initial and continued attendance in mental health care for youth and their families, as well as being an effective method for disseminating engagement practices across agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]