Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children Persist After Hurricane Katrina, according to GAO
August 11, 2009
Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children Persist After Hurricane Katrina, according to GAO

Congressional testimony by a representative of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on August 4, 2009, reported that barriers to mental health services for children in post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans persist despite support from multiple federal agencies for mental health and related services.  According to a recent GAO survey, stakeholder organizations identified a lack of mental health providers and sustainability of funding as the major barriers to providing mental health services.  Lack of transportation, competing family priorities, and concern regarding stigma were seen as barriers that affect the ability of families to gain access to mental health care. State and local efforts to provide mental health services have included hiring providers, supporting families and supporting school-based health centers – an emerging key approach in the greater New Orleans area to overcome barriers to mental health care for children.  However, much of the funding has been temporary and does not effectively address sustainability issues.  The report findings are based on structured interviews and written data collection from 18 state and local stakeholder organizations selected on the basis of experts’ referrals and the organizations’ roles in children’s mental health.  


See also:

GAO - Hurricane Katrina: Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children Persist in Greater New Orleans, Although Federal Grants Are Helping to Address Them

CHHCS: School-Based Mental Health