Help or Hindrance?: The Federal Government and Interagency Systems of Care for Children with Serious Mental Disorders

Introduction The Bazelon Center's Study Findings Problems Identified as Facing State And Local Officials Federal Program Barriers Recommended Federal Policy Improvements Conclusion Notes About This Issue Brief

Children with serious mental or emotional disorders require a range of services and supports, as do their families. Yet fragmentation of services and conflicting program rules have long impeded children's and families' access to needed care.

In 2001-2002, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law examined the federal government's role from the perspective of state officials responsible for children's mental health programming. We asked these officials if they had found federal rules a significant barrier to their efforts at interagency system reform to address the needs of children with serious mental disorders.

This report, released in February 2003, is available in browser-friendly HTML (below) and printer-friendly PDF file formats. If you have not already done so, you will need to download the free Acrobat Reader to view the PDF file.