It is critical to recognize that a child’s emotional and mental well-being is just as important as their physical health. Exposure to traumatic experiences such as violence and neglect, as well as deprivation that often accompanies poverty can negatively affect children’s behavior and, consequently, their relationships with family and friends and their ability to succeed in school.

To ensure that every child realizes her innate potential to become a healthy adult, productive citizen, and contributing member of society, Children First is dedicated to ameliorating the circumstances that contribute to child behavioral health problems and the barriers that impede children from accessing the services they need to feel better.

Parent/Caregiver Toolkit for Kids’ Mental Health

Explore the resources below to learn more about getting your child the support they need.  Contact 215-563-5848 or mentalhealth@childrenfirstpa.org if you have any questions or need more help.

• Understanding the Alphabet Soup: Key terms for children’s mental health
  • Use this guide if you are unfamiliar with mental health and want to learn more about what services and supports are available to your child.

• Flowchart for Medicaid:  Tiếng Anh / tiếng Ả Rập  /  người Trung Quốc  /  Người Bồ Đào Nha  /  tiếng Nga  /  người Tây Ban Nha  /  Tiếng Việt
  
  • If you would like to take the next step and get your child the mental health support that they need, this is a step-by-step guide for navigating Medicaid coverage for kids’ mental health.
  • Medicaid plans are plans such as Keystone First, Health Partners, UnitedHealth Care.

• Flowchart for Commercial Insurance Plans: Tiếng Anh / tiếng Ả Rập  /  người Trung Quốc  /  Người Bồ Đào Nha  /  tiếng Nga  /  người Tây Ban Nha  /  Tiếng Việt
  
  • If you would like to take the next step and get your child the mental health support they need, this is a step-by-step guide for navigating commercial insurance coverage for kids’ mental health.
  • Commercial insurance plans are usually through your job, and include plans such as Independence Blue Cross, Cigna, or Aetna.

• Flyers you can share information with your friends, families, and loved ones. Feel free to print these flyers that will help them get connected on learning how to find mental health resources for children and teens.
  • Flyer for children in kindergarten through 8th grade: Tiếng Anh / tiếng Ả Rập  /  người Trung Quốc  /  Người Bồ Đào Nha  /  tiếng Nga  /  người Tây Ban Nha  /  Tiếng Việt

• • Flyer for high school aged students: Tiếng Anh / tiếng Ả Rập  /  người Trung Quốc  /  Người Bồ Đào Nha  /  tiếng Nga  /  người Tây Ban Nha  /  Tiếng Việt

• School Nurse and Counselor Manual
  • Has a comprehensive section on Mental Health.

Mental Health Priorities

• Dyadic Care can transform youth mental health with innovative solutions for their communities.  Take a look at our recent work with mental health professionals working in Dyadic Care.
• Check out our most recent reports on Optimizing Medicaid và State Examples that demonstrate the potential for Pennsylvania’s system and support the five essential mental health reforms.
• Preventing exposure to one-time or ongoing traumatic experiences such as violence, neglect, or racism that can negatively affect children’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
• All children should have access to quality mental health services, regardless of insurance coverage, socioeconomic status, or citizenship.
• Mental health services and supports must be high-quality, culturally relevant, age-appropriate, and patient-centered.