The proposed K01 Mentored Research Scientist Award outlines a program of training and research that focuses on understanding and improving the care that Medicaid-enrolled children with mental health problems receive in safety net clinics. Upon completion of this training program, the candidate will be ideally poised to become an independent mental health services researcher with expertise in understanding how safety net facilities can improve access to and quality of mental health care for children. The goal of the educational component is to obtain the skills necessary to conduct the research and develop a working theoretical framework that will facilitate the transition towards independence. The educational program will provide advanced methodological training in: 1) spatial statistics; 2) qualitative methods; and 3) survey design and implementation. The educational component will also enable the candidate to learn and apply knowledge about youth psychopathology and evidence-based treatments, and about the mental health care safety net system for this population. This training will be obtained via mentoring by Drs. Benjamin Druss, Nadine Kaslow, Claire Sterk, Lance Waller, and Michael Windle; formal didactic coursework and seminars; a directed reading list; and participation in national conferences. The research agenda will draw on the new skills and mentorship obtained in this training program to implement three related research projects. The first project will merge 50-state Medicaid claims data with other databases to examine whether safety net clinic accessibility improves access to and quality of mental health care for disadvantaged youth. The second project will entail a qualitative study to inform the creation of a survey for mental health safety net clinics to better understand their features, services, and challenges in meeting the needs of Medicaid-enrolled children with mental health problems. This study will include parent focus groups and semi-structured interviews with providers and administrators in diverse safety net settings. The third project will develop a survey based on the qualitative data and conduct a pilot test of this instrument among safety net clinics statewide in Georgia. These projects will provide empirical data to refine a conceptual model of how safety net clinics interface with the local community to meet the needs of Medicaid-enrolled children with mental health problems. They will provide an important foundation for future research that informs programs and policies to improve the efficiency and quality of children's mental health services in the public safety net.

Public Health Relevance

Mental health problems are undertreated among Medicaid-eligible children. Although the safety net system plays a crucial role in providing needed services to this population, little is known about which youth are most likely to use these facilities, the quality of care that is received in these facilities, and the types of policies and interventions that can improve the ability of the safety net to serve this population. This K01 award fills a crucial gap in the scientific literature and informs policies and interventions concerning the modifiable factors that can improve the quality and efficiency of mental health services in the safety net for disadvantaged youth.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01MH095823-04
Application #
8877313
Study Section
Mental Health Services in MH Specialty Settings (SRSP)
Program Officer
Hill, Lauren D
Project Start
2012-08-03
Project End
2017-05-31
Budget Start
2015-06-01
Budget End
2016-05-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$161,882
Indirect Cost
$11,991
Name
Emory University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
066469933
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
Ji, Xu; Druss, Benjamin G; Lally, Cathy et al. (2018) Racial-Ethnic Differences in Patterns of Discontinuous Medication Treatment Among Medicaid-Insured Youths With ADHD. Psychiatr Serv 69:322-331
Cummings, Janet R; Ji, Xu; Allen, Lindsay et al. (2017) Racial and Ethnic Differences in ADHD Treatment Quality Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youth. Pediatrics 139:
Cummings, Janet R; Allen, Lindsay; Clennon, Julie et al. (2017) Geographic Access to Specialty Mental Health Care Across High- and Low-Income US Communities. JAMA Psychiatry 74:476-484
Ji, Xu; Wilk, Adam S; Druss, Benjamin G et al. (2017) Discontinuity of Medicaid Coverage: Impact on Cost and Utilization Among Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries With Major Depression. Med Care 55:735-743
Cummings, Janet R; Lynch, Frances L; Rust, Kristal C et al. (2016) Health Services Utilization Among Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 46:910-20
Cummings, Janet R; Wen, Hefei; Ko, Michelle (2016) Decline In Public Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers Most Serious In Counties With High Shares Of Black Residents. Health Aff (Millwood) 35:1036-44
Allen, Lindsay; Cummings, Janet (2016) Emergency Department Use Among Hispanic Adults: The Role of Acculturation. Med Care 54:449-56
Cummings, Janet R; Case, Brady G; Ji, Xu et al. (2016) Availability of Youth Services in U.S. Mental Health Treatment Facilities. Adm Policy Ment Health 43:717-727
Cummings, Janet R (2015) Rates of psychiatrists' participation in health insurance networks. JAMA 313:190-1
Cummings, Janet R (2014) Contextual socioeconomic status and mental health counseling use among US adolescents with depression. J Youth Adolesc 43:1151-62

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