Youth Crisis: The Current State and Future Directions

Abstract

The number of children and youth experiencing behavioral health crisis in the United States is substantially increasing. Currently, there are shortages to home-based and community-based services as well as psychiatric outpatient and inpatient pediatric care, leading to high emergency department utilization. This article introduces a proposed crisis continuum of care, highlights existing evidence, and provides opportunities for further research and advocacy.

Keywords: Community mental health services; Crisis services; Mobile crisis teams; Pediatric behavioral health; Pediatric mental health; Psychiatric emergency services.