2019 Awareness Day Final Report 2019_ADay_FinaReport_FINAL_pages | Page 15

are already reporting progress. Rhode
Island, for example, has enrolled 370
pediatric primary care providers, with
593 children having been directly served
by the PMHCA team.
HRSA also works to increase access
to integrated primary care and mental
health services for children and
adolescents through school-based
health centers. The experience of
Justin Womack (introduced earlier)
demonstrates the life-saving role of
school-based professionals such as
high school guidance counselors when
it comes to preventing, screening, and
treating mental health issues that affect
children and adolescents, including
depression and anxiety.
A 2017 study from the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine found
that increasing mental health services
in school-based health centers was
associated with significant reductions
in the likelihood of depressive episodes
and suicidal risk among students. In
February 2019, HRSA awarded $11
million to 120 school-based health
centers to increase access to mental
health, substance abuse, and childhood
obesity-related services.
RIGHT: The Minnesota Department of Human Services
had participants of their Awareness Day event fill out
shoe-shaped cards describing the “one step forward”
they’ll take to promote partnering with youth in their
everyday work.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: STRATEGIES THAT WORK
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