Spanish-Language Community-Based Mental Health Treatment Programs, Policy-Required Language-Assistance Programming, and Mental Health Treatment Access Among Spanish-Speaking Clients

Purpose Well-documented ethnic disparities exist in the identification and provision of quality services among children receiving community-based mental health services. These disparities extend to parent treatment engagement, an important component of effective mental health services. Currently, little is known about differences in how providers support parents’ participation in treatment and the degree to which parents actively participate in it. The purpose of this paper is to examine potential differences in both provider and parent in-session participation behaviours. Design/methodology/approach Participants included 17 providers providing standard community-based mental health treatment for 18 parent-child dyads, with 44 per cent of the dyads self-identifying as Hispanic/Latino. In-session participation was measured with the parent participation engagement in child psychotherapy and therapist alliance, collaboration, and empowerment strategies observational coding systems. Findings Overall, results indicate significantly lower levels of parent participation behaviours among Hispanic/Latino families compared to their Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino counterparts. No significant differences were seen in providers’ in-session behaviours to support parent participation across Hispanic/Latino and Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino families. Research limitations/implications These findings contribute to the literature on ethnic differences in parent treatment engagement by utilising measures of in-session provider and parent behaviours and suggest that further investigation is warranted to documenting and understanding ethnic disparities in parents’ participation in community-based child mental health treatment. Originality/value This paper contributes to the evaluation of differences in parent treatment engagement through demonstrating the utility of an in-session observational coding system as a measure of treatment engagement.

Download Full-text

Methodological advances in the use of recidivism rates to assess mental health treatment programs

The Journal of Mental Health Administration ◽

10.1007/bf02519110 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 190-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Thomas L. Hafemeister ◽

Steven M. Banks

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Recidivism Rates

Download Full-text

Books on Prescription - community-based health initiative to increase access to mental health treatment: an evaluation

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1111/1753-6405.12507 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 276-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sophie Carty ◽

Louise Thompson ◽

Sarah Berger ◽

Katie Jahnke ◽

Rebecca Llewellyn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Community Based ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Health Initiative

Download Full-text

Ethnic disparities in mental health treatment gap in a community-based survey and in access to care in psychiatric clinics

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764013504562 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 60 (6) ◽

pp. 575-583 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ora Nakash ◽

Maayan Nagar ◽

Eli Danilovich ◽

Daphne Bentov-Gofrit ◽

Ido Lurie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Access To Care ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Ethnic Disparities ◽

Treatment Gap ◽

Community Based ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Mental Health Treatment Gap

Download Full-text

At the intersection of lay and professional social networks: how community ties shape perceptions of mental health treatment providers

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2015.25 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

B. L. Perry ◽

E. Pullen ◽

B. A. Pescosolido

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Networks ◽

Therapeutic Alliance ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Systems Of Care ◽

Community Networks ◽

Health Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Treatment Providers

Background.The therapeutic alliance is a critical determinant of individuals’ persistence and outcomes in mental health treatment. Simultaneously, individuals’ community networks shape decisions about whether, when, and what kind of treatment are used. Despite the similar focus on social relationship influence for individuals with serious mental illness, each line of research has maintained an almost exclusive focus on either ‘inside’ (i.e. treatment) networks or ‘outside’ (i.e. community) networks, respectively.Method.For this study, we integrate these important insights by employing a network-embedded approach to understand the therapeutic alliance. Using data from the Indianapolis Network Mental Health Study (INMHS, n = 169, obs = 2206), we target patients experiencing their first major contact with the mental health treatment system. We compare patients’ perceptions of support resources available through treatment providers and lay people, and ask whether evaluations of interpersonal dimensions of the therapeutic alliance are contingent on characteristics of community networks.Results.Analyses reveal that providers make up only 9% of the whole social network, but are generally perceived positively. However, when community networks are characterized by close relationships and frequent contact, patients are significantly more likely to report that treatment providers offer useful advice and information. Conversely, when community networks are in conflict, perceptions of treatment providers are more negative.Conclusion.Community-based social networks are critical for understanding facilitators of and barriers to effective networks inside treatment, including the therapeutic alliance. Implications for community-based systems of care are discussed in the context of the USA and global patterns of deinstitutionalization and community reintegration.

Download Full-text