Transcript Mental Health Illness in Foster children, youth and

Mental Health Illness in Foster
children, youth and alumni
ROSA CHIGUILA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY MONTEREY
BAY
D E C E M B E R 9 TH, 2 0 1 5
Mental Health and Foster Care Children
 Every child should have a home where they feel safe
and do not experience any child abuse, maltreatment
or neglect.
 Every child that is in the foster system who needs
access to help their mental health illness receives the
help that they need in the correct form.
 Adults who have aged out of the system deserve to
know information on how to get adequate care and
services for mental health illnesses after they leave
the foster care system.
Statistics
 More than 24,000 children age out of the foster care
system every year nationwide, and more than 1,200
in New York City alone.
 Foster care alumni experienced PTSD at a rate nearly
5 times that of the general population
 Male former foster youth are more than 4 times as
likely to be arrested than the general population, and
females are 10 times more likely.
Foster Care Alumni
Retrieved
from:http://www.casey.org/media/AlumniStudy_US_Report_Mental
Causes
 Child Maltreatment and Neglect
 Not enough access to services
 Instability while in the foster care system
Effects
 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder found in Foster Care
Alumni
 Alumni can develop depression, drug dependency
and anxiety disorders
Retrieved from: https://www.fosterclub.com/article/statistics-foster-care
Proposed Solutions
 Support groups
 Low cost or free therapy sessions
 Safe place in schools
 Assistance for alumni after aging out of the foster
care system
Resources
 Burns, B. J., Phillips, S. D., Wagner, R., Barth, R. P., Kolko, D. J., Campbell,
Y., &
Landsverk, J. (2004). Mental health need and access to
mental health services by youths involved with child welfare: A
national survey. Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(8), 960- 970.
 Festinger T. No one ever asked us: A postscript to foster care. New York,
NY: Columbia University Press; 1983.
 Kolko, D. J., Herschell, A. D., Costello, A. H., & Kolko, R. P. (2009). Child
welfare recommendations to improve mental health services for
children who have experienced abuse and neglect: A national
perspective. Administration and Policy
 Pecora, P. , Kessler, R. , O'Brien, K. , White, C. , White, J. , et al. (2006).
Educational and employment outcomes of adults formerly placed in
foster care: Results from the northwest foster care alumni study.
Children and Youth Services Review, 28(12), 1459-1481.