Pediatric behavioral health medical-legal partnerships: a novel approach to child and adolescent psychiatric care.

IF 3 3区医学 Q1 PEDIATRICS Academic Pediatrics Pub Date : 2025-01-10 DOI:10.1016/j.acap.2025.102779

Shashwat Kala, Madisen A Swallow, Jay Sicklick, Yann Poncin, Kathryn Meyer

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The state of pediatric mental health in the United States remains an ongoing challenge. Contributing to this challenge is the biopsychosocial nature of mental health - an interconnected system of biological, psychological, social, and legal factors. Consequently, addressing pediatric mental health requires interdisciplinary collaboration. Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) integrate legal assistance into traditional health care. Though MLPs have gained momentum in general pediatric health care delivery, they are surprisingly underutilized in the pediatric mental health landscape. This current work highlights the Yale Child Study Center Medical-Legal Partnership Project (YCSC-MLPP), which is to our knowledge, the first MLP in a children's behavioral health setting in the country. The YCSC-MLPP emerged as an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Yale Schools of Medicine and Law as well as the Center for Children's Advocacy. Between November 2021 to October 2022, the YCSC-MLPP received 150 referrals regarding patients whose care was complicated by health-harming legal needs. Of these referrals, 70% were non-client consultations, 26% were direct consultation with families, and 4% were full legal representation. The most pertinent topics addressed included education, health, housing, individual rights, and immigration. The creation of the YCSC-MLPP sets an example for what a reimagined, interdisciplinary approach to pediatric mental health can look like.

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来源期刊

Academic Pediatrics PEDIATRICS-

CiteScore

4.60

自引率

12.90%

发文量

300

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Academic Pediatrics, the official journal of the Academic Pediatric Association, is a peer-reviewed publication whose purpose is to strengthen the research and educational base of academic general pediatrics. The journal provides leadership in pediatric education, research, patient care and advocacy. Content areas include pediatric education, emergency medicine, injury, abuse, behavioral pediatrics, holistic medicine, child health services and health policy,and the environment. The journal provides an active forum for the presentation of pediatric educational research in diverse settings, involving medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing professionals. The journal also emphasizes important research relating to the quality of child health care, health care policy, and the organization of child health services. It also includes systematic reviews of primary care interventions and important methodologic papers to aid research in child health and education.