Mental Health Care of Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs Across Four Systems of Care

Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) have unique mental health needs. We analyzed issues in mental health care for CYSHCN across four systems (health, education, family, community). Narrative review was employed to synthesize and summarize peer-reviewed published literature, national government, and nonprofit organization reports/websites related to mental health of CYSHCN. Mental health care of CYSHCN is fragmented across the four systems, each with its own set of policies, focus areas, providers, and resources. Mental health of CYSHCN is often overlooked as child health clinicians focus on physical health care needs. Strategies for improving access to screening, evaluation, and treatment in all four systems are presented. Our findings point to ways that child health clinicians might enhance access to mental health care for CYSHCN. Advanced practice registered nurses can play a pivotal role in coordinating care and linking children and families to appropriate resources.