224: Children’s Mental Health

ROBERT JOHNSON:

This is Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, July 21st, 2022. I'm Robert Johnson.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ANNIE EVANS:

First, people living with disabilities are present in every community around the country, so it's really critical to include them in all public health programs because they will be touched by all public health programs.

JOHNSON:

That's the voice of Annie Evans, ASTHO's director of preparedness and disability integration. She's in Atlanta this week for a national meeting of county and city health officials talking about the results of ASTHO's 18 month project that placed disability and preparedness specialists in jurisdictions across the states and territories. The project is ending, but Evans wants agencies to continue the work.

EVANS:

So, I think it'd be really helpful to have somebody specifically appointed to do this work, and it could even be particularly helpful to appoint somebody in their emergency operation center during emergency situations. We also really want to encourage people to work across government agencies, across levels of government, and in partnership with the disability inclusion specialists to make sure that people with disabilities are served in all public health programs.

JOHNSON:

The ASTHO initiative was funded by the CDC. Evans says 16 states, two territories, and 10 local health departments were involved. Read more using the links in the show notes.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force is out with its latest report to Congress. John Clymer chairs the committee that wrote the 2021 report offering findings and recommendations to improve population health.

JOHN CLYMER:

Yes, a go-to source for public private and non-governmental decision-makers who need to know or want to know how they can improve health in populations, whether it's a workforce or a community or a state, and what's been proven to work so that when they are determining how to best use resources to move the needle on health, they know what the go-to bets are.

JOHNSON:

Clymer says the report also outlines recommendations to address children's mental health.

JOHNSON:

So, there's a lot of great information here that will help not only health departments but also collaborators, such as schools and educators and healthcare providers, to collectively support and protect children's mental health. So, they're proven therapies, strategies, programs that help children solve problems, regulate emotions, and establish helpful thought and behavior which can lead to improve mental health and wellbeing.

JOHNSON:

Get the report using the link in the show notes.

Also this morning, Louisiana's perinatal quality collaborative is less than a year old, but already it's making progress on a plan to help pregnant and postpartum people who struggle with opioid use.

Dr. Amy Ladley manages the work.

AMY LADLEY:

We have four initiatives within the LaPQC, and there are 49 birthing hospitals in the state of Louisiana. And 47 of them are participating in at least one initiative of the LaPQC, so that means that at least one of our quality improvement activities touches about 98% of deliveries in Louisiana. And I think that the majority of our hospitals, there's no mandate for participation at the moment. So, I would like to think that they are staying with us because of the support that we offer and the relationships that we've built.

JOHNSON:

You can hear more about the collaborative from Ladley and Louisiana state health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter in a new episode of the Public Health Review podcast, coming soon everywhere you stream audio.

Finally today, don't forget to sign up for ASTHO's Health Equity Summit 2022. It's next Wednesday, July 27th. Learn more about the program and register for the online event using the link in the show notes.

That'll do it for today's newscast. We are back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.