News Mashup for May 2021
Resounding “No” on Instagram for Youth
In an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg dated May 10, members of the National Association of Attorneys General (AG) urged Facebook to abandon its recently announced plan to launch a version of Instagram for children 13 years of age and under. The signatories, representing 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, argued that “social media can be detrimental to the health and well-being of children” and that “Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.” The AG cited recent research linking smartphone and social media use to increased mental distress in youth, and pointed to potential safety and security issues; the latter referring to Facebook’s Messenger Kids app in which, according to a 2019 report published in The Verge, “a significant design flaw [was revealed] that allowed children to circumvent restrictions on online interactions and join group chats with strangers that were not previously approved by the children’s parents.”
Writing for Bloomberg on May 10, social media reporters Naomi Nix and Tina Davis say that the AG’s concerns amplify public opposition to the project and echo a bipartisan dressing down of big tech CEOs by Congress during March 25, 2021 hearings before U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittees. In an interview with Amy Ta from KCRW, Nix says we are likely to see “more bills to propose updates to laws that are currently on the books that are aimed at protecting children online, and perhaps more proposals to pare back some of the legal protections that Facebook and other tech companies enjoy.” Click on the links below to learn more.
National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). May 10, 2021. Facebook’s Plans to Develop Instagram for Children Under the Age of 13. NAAG Open Letter to M. Zuckerberg. Retrieved May 28, 2021 from https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/naag_letter_to_facebook_-_final.pdf.
Naomi Nix and Tina Davis. May 10, 2021. Facebook Should Halt Instagram Youth, Attorneys General Say. Bloomberg. Retrieved May 28, 2021 from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-10/facebook-should-halt-instagram-kids-plan-attorneys-general-say.
Amy Ta. May 11, 2021. Instagram version for kids? Parents and Lawmakers Worry about Mental Health, Privacy, and Predators. KCRW. Retrieved May 28, 2021 from https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/press-play-with-madeleine-brand/coronavirus-social-media-immigration-hulu-theater/facebook-instagram-youth.
Naomi Nix and Tina Davis. March 25, 2021. Facebook, Google CEOs Blasted in Congress Over Apps for Kids. Bloomberg. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/facebook-google-ceos-blasted-in-congress-over-apps-for-kids.
Elia Abi-Jaoude et al., Smartphones, Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health, 192(6) CMAJ, 136–141 (2020); https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/192/6/E136.full.pdf.
Russell Brandom. July 22 2019. Facebook Design Flaw Let Thousands of Kids Join Chats with Unauthorized Users. The Verge. Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/22/20706250/facebook-messenger-kids-bug-chat-app-unauthorizedadults.
Mental Health ER Visits Soar
A May 26 report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) draws on recent research and media reports to explore the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people and an escalating access-to-care crisis. KFF reports that “to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many health care providers changed the way they deliver services, sometimes suspending them or operating at limited capacity.”
Unfortunately, efforts to minimize physical risk may have exacerbated mental health problems, according to the report. A steep increase in the number of children needing acute behavioral health care is overwhelming inpatient facilities. Officials at Children’s Hospital Colorado declared “a pediatric mental health state of emergency,” in May saying the “entire system is taxed and experiencing an unprecedented overload of children as young as 8 needing immediate treatment, largely for suicidal thoughts and attempts.” Shira Schoenberg, writing for the Massachusetts journal CommonWealth on May 31 reports that “COVID has made worse a long-standing crisis in child psychiatric care” with young people languishing for days in emergency rooms before an inpatient psychiatric bed can be secured. Schoenberg continues, “The shuttering of school buildings and the loss of in-person community mental health services led more children to suffer from acute mental health problems. At the same time, the number of available inpatient psychiatric beds has been reduced.” Reduced access to outpatient services has compounded the crowding problem, with emergency departments the only service option left for many families. Click on the links below to learn more.
Nirmita Panchal, Rabah Kamal, Cynthia Cox, Rachel Garfield, Priya Chidambaram May 26, 2021. Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved May 28, 2021 from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/mental-health-and-substance-use-considerations-among-children-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/.
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). May 26, 2021. The Pandemic’s Impact on Children’s Mental Health. KFF Newsroom. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/press-release/the-pandemics-impact-on-childrens-mental-health/.
Shira Schoenberg. May 31, 2021. For Pediatric Mental Health Patients, Days Stuck in the ER. CommonWealth. Retrieved May 31, 2021 from https://commonwealthmagazine.org/tag/pediatric-mental-health/.
Debbie Kelly. May 25, 2021. Children’s Hospital Colorado: Mental Health Emergency Room Visits Soaring for Youth. The Gazette. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://gazette.com/premium/childrens-hospital-colorado-mental-health-emergency-visits-soaring-for-youth/article_cf907306-b4ed-11eb-a7ba-c7c3021d3d00.html . {Subscriber Only}
Debbie Kelly. June 1, 2021. Children's Hospital Colorado Declares State of Emergency Over Mental Health, Suicide. North Springs Edition. Retrieved June 2, 2021 from https://gazette.com/northspringsedition/childrens-hospital-colorado-declares-state-of-emergency-over-mental-health-suicide/article_1c398eea-bfed-11eb-b668-e70166e20cd4.html.
Ann Schimke May 25, 2021. Our Kids Have Run Out of Resilience: Experts Declare Youth Mental Health ‘State of Emergency’ in Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/25/22453088/colorado-experts-declare-youth-mental-health-state-of-emergency.
Jennifer Brown. May 25, 2021. Children’s Hospital Colorado Declares Mental Health State of Emergency as Suicide Attempts Rise. The Colorado Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/25/mental-health-emergency-children-teen-colorado/.
Kristin F. Dalton. May 31, 2021. Experts Alarmed by Rise in S.I. Children Struggling with Mental Health Since Pandemic. silive. Retrieved May 31, 2021 from https://www.silive.com/coronavirus/2021/05/experts-alarmed-by-rise-in-si-children-struggling-with-mental-health-since-pandemic.html.
Behavioral Health System of Care Update
On May 27, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work recommended an update to the behavioral health System of Care (SOC) approach, a widely accepted framework and philosophy adapted in national policy and utilized by state, community, tribal, and territorial providers. The SOC approach, first introduced in the mid-1980s and last updated in 2010, promotes comprehensive, integrated, and individualized service arrays delivered in the least restrictive settings possible. The update, which is based on “extensive expert consultation and input from the field” reflects the “consensus on the future directions of SOCs,” includes the following guidelines:
Incorporate elements of the public health approach, including comprehensive school-based mental health services and health-mental health integrative care, including strategies for linking with primary care physicians.
Strengthen service arrays to include the core set of essential services and supports outlined by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, including telehealth as an essential service.
Specify services that meet the needs of young people across the age spectrum, and revise language to reflect youth-driven as well as family-driven care.
Also in May, a coalition of 50+ behavioral health organizations released a Behavioral Health Action blueprint for addressing the many challenges facing California’s System of Care. Designed for policy makers and providers, the blueprint outlines a statewide minimum standard of care that prioritizes prevention and early intervention, especially for children and youth. Rather than a “menu of optional services from which a health plan or county might choose,” the coalition calls for a continuum of services with “equal access to a variety of inter-related elements of prevention and care — regardless of where individuals reside and who insures them.” The plan stresses the need for performance measures and workforce building incentives that will improve outcomes and reduce the current shortfall of providers. Click on the links below to learn more.
Beth Stroul, Gary Blau, and Justine Larson. May 27, 2021. The Evolution of the System of Care Approach for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions and Their Families. The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://www.cmhnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/The-Evolution-of-the-SOC-Approach-FINAL-5-27-20211.pdf?.
Stroul, B., Blau, G., & Friedman, R. (2010). Updating the system of care concept and philosophy. Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://gucchdtacenter.georgetown.edu/resources/Call%20Docs/2010Calls/SOC_Brief2010.pdf.
Carmela Coyle and Jessica Cruz. May 5, 2021. A blueprint for Californians’ behavioral health. CalMatters. Retrieved May 26, 2021 from https://calmatters.org/commentary/my-turn/2021/05/a-blueprint-for-californians-behavioral-health/?mc_cid=8a844e6ce7&mc_eid=b6b08d977d.
Behavioral Health Action. May 5, 2021. Answering the Call to Action: A Vision for All Californians’ Behavioral Health. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://www.behavioralhealthaction.org/wp-content/uploads/BHA-Blueprint-2021.pdf.
Behavioral Health Action. May 5, 2021. Historic Blueprint Calls for Transforming State’s Behavioral Health Care System. Retrieved May 30, 2021 from https://www.behavioralhealthaction.org/news/historic-blueprint-calls-for-transforming-states-behavioral-health-care-system/.
What’s in the Budget for Children’s Mental Health?
On May 14, Governor Gavin Newsom released a revised 2021-2022 budget proposal allocating an unprecedented $4 billion investment in behavioral health for all Californians up to age 25. The proposal includes investments for awareness and prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs); coordinated specialty care; provider workforce development; and virtual screening and service platforms. Here’s what people are saying about the Governor’s proposal:
It’s time to invest in behavioral health services for young people CalMatters – 5.28.2021; What’s in Governor’s Revised 2021 Budget? Major Investments Proposed to Address Youth Behavioral Health California School-Based Health Alliance – 5.19.2021; Newsom proposes major funding increase for student mental health services EdSource – 5.14.2021; CA Gov. Newsom proposes historic investments in youth Mental Health The Kennedy Forum – 5.28.2021 .
On May 28, The White House submitted the President’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2022. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona hails its “transformational investments to expand access to affordable early childhood and postsecondary education, and prioritize the physical and mental well-being of students.” The proposal includes $1.6 billion for the Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grants, reflecting an increase of $800 million over FY 2021 enacted levels. Counties utilize CMHS and SAPT grants to prevent and treat mental illnesses and substance use disorders in adults and children. Read an overview of the President’s budget by the National Association of Counties here.
More Stories in May: For Spanish-speaking families, an uphill battle for special needs services California Health Report – 5.3.2021; Fixing the children’s mental health crisis: it takes a community U.S. News & World Report – 5.11.2021; The Supreme Court decision on juvenile life without parole goes against decades of law and understandings of adolescent development Children’s Defense Fund – 5.13.2021; National survey on LGBTQ youth mental health 2021 The Trevor Project – 5.19.2021; Sacramento supervisors vote unanimously for Laura's Law ABC10 – 5.18.2021; The impact of COVID-19 on teens, one year later GENYOUth – 5.17.2021; How rural school counselors confront life in a ‘mental health desert’ Oklahoma Watch – 5.24.2021; Disrupting the impacts of implicit bias National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine – 5.28.2021; Teenagers are struggling, and it’s not just lockdown The New York Times – 5.4.2021
