Year of Publication

2018

College

Public Health

Date Available

12-3-2018

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

Committee Chair

Dr. Sarah Wackerbarth

Committee Member

Dr. Richard Ingram

Committee Member

Dr. Joseph Benitez

Abstract

This paper provided a prospective policy analysis of the Washington, D.C. School Health Innovations Grant Act. This act establishes a grant program to facilitate the formation of school-based telehealth centers to provide mental health services to District school children. The purpose of this act is to improve access to mental health services for children, especially children in disadvantaged populations, such as those low-income, predominantly African American neighborhoods in eastern Washington, D.C., where a high burden of need is compounded by a shortage of health professionals.

This analysis was guided by the Bardach framework of policy analysis. The various factors affecting access to mental health services were explored, and the School Health Innovations Grant Act was analyzed in terms of its ability to address these barriers, its ability to maximize health outcomes and, and its overall cost effectiveness. A brief overview of telehealth and school-based health, and the evidence supporting their use, was also included.

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