TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | m a y 2 0 1 5 7 For children and adolescents who do not require immediate hospitalization, TMC member institutions offer a com- prehensive range of outpatient services, but often the waiting lists are painfully long for parents who are anxious to find treatment and therapy options. "Baylor, Texas Children's and Harris Health all have a lot of outpatient clin- ics, which are great for kids who don't need to be admitted to the hospital," said Williams. "The only problem with these is the wait times—Texas Children's Hospital can have up to a four-month waiting list to get in." DePelchin Children's Center is one of the most recognized and respected institutions offering mental health services to children and adolescents in the Texas Medical Center. Having served the Houston community for over 120 years, DePelchin began as an orphanage and continues to focus on foster care and adoption in addition to providing mental health services including outpatient psychiatric services and counseling. They accept Medicaid, private commercial insur- ance and self-pay, and their multi-dis- ciplinary specialty services, including their clinics in autism diagnostics and trauma-focused treatment, make the organization a sought-after option for Houston families—so much so that their waiting lists are notoriously long despite the multiple clinics they've established throughout the city. It's a problem prevalent in Houston. A third-grade teacher who works in an underserved area of the city has been trying to help one of her students secure counseling for months. He has exhibited aggressive behavior, partially due to problems at home, and she is worried about how far he will go if he does not see a professional soon. "The process has been extremely difficult and the waiting period is over two months just for an initial consult," she said. The TMC member institutions are doing what they can with the resources available, and over the past five years hospitals have increased their focus on extending outpatient services to reach more patients in the community. Texas Children's Hospital, in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and the Menninger Clinic, now offers mental health services One of the greatest opportunities that we have as mental health profes- sionals in the TMC is to create a stronger network or 'think tank' combining all of our thought leadership to develop actionable ideas that would result in more prevention and treatment options for pediatrics as well as adolescents here in Houston. — ELIZABETH NEWLIN, M.D. Program and Medical Director of The Menninger Clinic and Assistant Professor at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine at some of their Community Cares Program practices, providing mental health services to underserved patients at no cost. The Community Cares Program, which was created by specific philanthropic commitments from the community and is now funded by Texas Children's Hospital, works to provide medical services for children who would otherwise go to the emergency room for non-emergent needs or forgo treatment completely due to low family income or a lack of health insurance. Memorial Hermann has opened Mental Health Crisis Clinics so if an adult or pediatric patient is suffering from an acute mental health concern but does not require hospitalization, he or she can be evaluated and treated by a psychiatrist without standing in the proverbial waiting list line. Each year, approximately 157,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at emergency departments across the U.S. 2 Boys are more likely than girls to have ADHD, behavioral or conduct problems, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, Tourette syndrome, and cigarette dependence. 2 Millions of American children live with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome or a host of other mental health issues. 2

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