If 2020 was the year that the pandemic catapulted telehealth into the mainstream of healthcare delivery, 2023 was the year that it became the new normal, especially in behavioral healthcare.  But for telehealth, as for other aspects of post-pandemic life, settling into the new normal hasn’t always been easy. 

The current youth mental health crisis among youth has been brewing for decades. Fritz’ article referenced the ‘boarding’ of children in psychiatric distress in hospital emergency rooms, as well as the “lack of access to outpatient child mental health services in the community because of a shortage of providers.” 

Too often, youth experiencing behavioral health crisis face hospitalization or justice system involvement, instead of the home- and community-based services they need to de-escalate and stabilize.

Screening for Anxiety and Depression in Schools: Next Steps. How do we know if our children are struggling?  And what do we do about it if they are?  Since the pandemic shone a light on children and adolescents’ behavioral health, these questions are increasingly urgent for health care providers, educators and policy makers. 

Every child who shows up in the ED in crisis is a sign that we, as a society, have not done enough to support them at other points in their journey. We need to move care away from crowded emergency departments and into homes, schools and communities, with a focus on prevention.