CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland has joined forces with Cuyahoga County officials for the creation of a new task force that will focus on mental health care for youth and young adults.
The Youth Mental Health Workforce Development Sprint Task Force will bring together leaders and stakeholders in the mental health community who will try to tackle the ongoing problem of workflow shortage of providers.
The task force will hold sessions over the next 180 days (through mid-February) that will "further develop recommendations for gaps and opportunities to grow the number of professionals serving young people. In its report, the task force will present strategies that will focus on:
- Equitable pay for behavioral health providers
- Loan forgiveness
- Professional capacity building
- Interstate licensure simplification
- Diversity and equity
- Integrated behavioral health care
"This sprint task force’s report will allow us to act with urgency to support our young people, which in turn impacts our schools and educators, and the overall health of our city," said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
Bibb noted the "social and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic" on the city's youth, pointing to a story of a specific Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) student as evidence. "A junior at John Hay High School said when COVID-19 happened, she was engaged on Zoom, got into a routine. But then as classes resumed, she felt as if the world was moving, but she wasn't."
The task force’s report will also include a summary of work underway and progress made; recommendations for action, specific to workforce interventions and including potential state and federal funding sources; and an advocacy agenda for presentation to state and federal policymakers that will support the workforce interventions and public policy changes that would result in better access to care.
“The number of young people diagnosed with behavioral health problems continues to grow, yet the mental health workforce specializing in treating young people has shrunk. This leaves some of our most vulnerable children and their families without comprehensive resources for tackling mental health, and providers stretched thin in an already mentally demanding field,” added Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. “Many local organizations are doing great work in this space. Now is the time to bring everyone together to create a coordinated approach to tackling this crisis. I look forward to reading the sprint task force’s report and taking action.”
The sprint task force concept has been developed in partnership with leaders from the Cleveland Department of Public Health and Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, as well as the City’s Chiefs for Education and Youth and Family Success. The group will be coordinated by Michelle Rose, executive director for Ohio Means Jobs Cleveland-Cuyahoga County.
"Youth opportunity doesn't end at the end of the school hours," Ronayne added. "We need to focus on out-of-school-hour initiatives and with this partnership around the table, I know we can."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. You can dial 988 or (216) 623-6888. Learn more about crisis services through the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County here.