2022 advocacy expanded edition

At 10 years old, Zhan was referred by an inpatient child psychiatric unit to CFG Health Systems’ A Step Ahead Elmer program. The treatment team was told that Zhan would most likely be residential bound when she finished the program. However, through intensive behavior modification; structure; group and family therapy; medication management; and the unwavering support and advocacy from the treatment team, Zhan was able to achieve a complete turnaround. Her mood stabilized and for the first time, she felt like she had succeeded at something. She became a role model for her peers and a leader in the program, and she graduated from A Step Ahead Elmer on the highest level. ZHAN I never had friends before and now I do. I always felt bad about myself and now I don’t. This program is awesome! 6 Significantly expand the School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) to more schools, strengthen existing SBYSP programs and improve children’s psychiatric assessment and partial care rates to increase access to care. Investment Is Needed to Make More Successes Such as Zhan’s Possible Source: New Jersey Hospital Association, Chart Bulletin Series, Vol. 20, April 2021 ata for New Jersey hospitals reflects similar trends. A review of New Jersey emergency department hospital c eveals that from April through December 2020, the propo tio of thos u der 18 ye rs presenting with a prim econdary diagnosis for anxiety increased by approximately 74 percent compare to the sam period in 2019, epression disorders among this age group increased more than 84 percent (Figure 4). Furthermore, a agnoses and “other” mental and behavioral health diagnoses increased by roughly 15 and 23 percent, respec mong 18- to 29-year-olds (Figures 5 & 8). or all age groups combined, the proportion of ED claims with a drug/substance use diagnosis incre pproximately 29 percent from 2019 to 2020 during the same nine-month period (Figure 7). This tr nd is espe oteworthy, as the proportion of ED claims for drug/substance use appeared to be decreasing from 2018 th 019 for most age groups. For children and adoles e ts, ages 17 y ars and und r, the proportion jumped from ercent in 2019 to 1.07 percent in 2020 – a 91 percent increase (Figure 4). While a considerably smaller num - to 17-year-olds presented with a drug/substance use diagnosis – with higher numbers among tee s – the inc the percentage of children under 18 years presenting with these diagnoses is concerning. Figure 4 Source: New Jersey Hospital Discharge Data Notes: 1) Anxiety-related diagnoses include phobic anxiety disorders. 2) Other mental and behavioral health-related diagnoses include behavioral syndromes, and dissociative, stres related, adjustment-related, somatoform, other nonpsychotic, manic, bipolar, persistent mood, and other mood disorders. They exclude adult personality disorders.