Children's mental health is important. Parents must insure they are covered. | Opinion

• Rikki Harris is CEO of Tennessee Voices for Children.

May 9 was National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. 

At Tennessee Voices for Children, we believe that access to health care services can be the difference between life and death for a child with mental health needs.  Rates of youth suicide are rising, and 80% of children who need help will not get it.  Sources say that one in three children on TennCare has a mental health condition, a higher than average prevalence rate.

One of the leading causes of disability in young people is neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuropsychiatric conditions are mental disorders that are usually caused by diseases of the nervous system and include ADHD, autism, eating disorders and depression. These diseases can be debilitating for a child.

In addition to poorer educational and employment outcomes, untreated mental health issues increase the likelihood that a young person will become involved in the juvenile justice system, leading to a higher risk of entering the criminal justice system as an adult. Studies show that greater access to mental health services will also decrease the high rate of incarceration in America.  

Half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, so early intervention programs can be highly effective for young people, leading to better days in school, stable employment, and better quality of life.

Recently, there were reports that more than 100,000 children have been disenrolled from TennCare. Several years ago, TennCare hit a peak in its membership when the program paused annual eligibility redeterminations.  Since eligibility redeterminations restarted, Tennessee is experiencing a decline in the number of children covered, although TennCare reports that there are now more children on TennCare than before the pause.  

Regardless of varying positions on disenrollment of children from TennCare, it is time now to ensure that all eligible children are covered and maintaining enrollment. With the services provided to children from TennCare, as well as from federal children’s program CoverKids, our state is well-suited to provide the care that children need to help them become healthy and productive members of our communities.

Children on TennCare will enjoy better health, reduced mortality, and fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits. They will do better in school, have higher reading scores and are more likely to complete high school and college. These children are more likely to become healthy adults, leading to reduced health care costs and increased savings for the state. By ensuring that every eligible child is enrolled in TennCare and CoverKids, we can help children reach their full potential. If you think your child is eligible for TennCare you should call 855-259-0701.

The need for mental health services is on the rise in Tennessee. Parents can be their child’s best advocate to ensure that they have help. Parents and caregivers are empowered to take an active role, and in fact be in the driver’s seat when it comes to their child’s healthcare.  Families must speak boldly about barriers to accessing care and ask for what they need to support their child’s well-being. 

So, to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, Tennessee Voices for Children kicked off our MEGAPHONE CAMPAIGN. Please join us in magnifying our voice and maximizing our reach so that all Tennessee children will have access to mental health care if they need it. Mental health is real and treatable. The time is now to be a voice for the voiceless.

Rikki Harris is CEO of Tennessee Voices for Children.