Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Nov 14;3(1):55.
doi: 10.1038/s44184-024-00102-w.

Infrastructure development in children's behavioral health systems of care: essential elements and implementation strategies

Jeffrey J Vanderploeg  1
Affiliations
Review

Infrastructure development in children's behavioral health systems of care: essential elements and implementation strategies

Jeffrey J Vanderploeg. Npj Ment Health Res. .

Abstract

To improve the outcomes of children's behavioral health systems, states must invest in expanding infrastructure; however, infrastructure is a commonly used and poorly understood concept. This paper aims to provide a definition of infrastructure in the context of state-level children's behavioral system of care development and describes five essential infrastructure elements: an integrated governance and decision-making structure; structures and processes for blended and braided funding; a central point of access for information, referral, and linkage; workforce development, training, and coaching in effective practices; and data and quality improvement mechanisms. Suggested implementation activities are offered for each of the five proposed infrastructure components. The important role of public-private partnership, particularly with intermediary organizations, is described, and future directions for research and scholarship are proposed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The author declares no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
System of care infrastructure components.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Benton, T. D., Boyd, R. C. & Njoroge, W. F. Addressing the global crisis of child and adolescent mental health. JAMA Pediatr.175, 1108–1110 (2021). - PubMed
    1. Bitsko. et al. Surveillance of children’s mental health - United States, 2013-2019. Morbidity Mortal. Wkly. Report.71, 1–42 (2022).
    1. Perou, R. et al. Mental health surveillance among children: United States, 2005-2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013).
    1. Pumariega, A. J. et al. Trauma and US minority children and youth. Curr. Psychiatry Rep.24, 285–295 (2022). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bor, W., Dean, A. J., Najman, J. & Hayatbakhsh, R. Are child and adolescent mental health problems increasing in the 21st century? a systematic review. Aust. N.Z. J. Psychiatry48, 606–616 (2014). - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources