Patient Navigators for Children's Community Mental Health Services in High Poverty Urban Communities

Description

The purpose is to study a model of mental health navigation for African American and Latinx children (0-14 years) in high poverty urban communities focused on reducing key parental attitudinal barriers to care. Reducing persistent racial and ethnic disparities in children's mental health is a national priority and patient navigation is a highly promising approach that is rarely used in children's mental health services. The study will examine the effectiveness of paraprofessional (PP) navigators who have strong community knowledge and waitlist as usual condition (active wailt list \[AWL\]. The study will examine specific mechanisms of navigator effectiveness in children's mental health and compare an AWL to provide a rigorous test of the proposed mechanisms. The knowledge gained from this application may be important to reducing disparities and employing the workforce best suited to navigation in the community mental health system. Two community boards, one focused on identifying factors important to supporting navigators at the agencies (Implementation and Sustainability Community Board) will meet quarterly, and the other focused on implications for state and federal policy (Public Policy Board), will meet annually.

Conditions

Community Mental Health Services

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The purpose is to study a model of mental health navigation for African American and Latinx children (0-14 years) in high poverty urban communities focused on reducing key parental attitudinal barriers to care. Reducing persistent racial and ethnic disparities in children's mental health is a national priority and patient navigation is a highly promising approach that is rarely used in children's mental health services. The study will examine the effectiveness of paraprofessional (PP) navigators who have strong community knowledge and waitlist as usual condition (active wailt list \[AWL\]. The study will examine specific mechanisms of navigator effectiveness in children's mental health and compare an AWL to provide a rigorous test of the proposed mechanisms. The knowledge gained from this application may be important to reducing disparities and employing the workforce best suited to navigation in the community mental health system. Two community boards, one focused on identifying factors important to supporting navigators at the agencies (Implementation and Sustainability Community Board) will meet quarterly, and the other focused on implications for state and federal policy (Public Policy Board), will meet annually.

Patient Navigators for Children's Community Mental Health Services in High Poverty Urban Communities

Patient Navigators for Children's Community Mental Health Services in High Poverty Urban Communities

Condition
Community Mental Health Services
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60608

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * African American and Latinx Children between 0 and 14 years of age and their caregiver
  • * New referrals on the waitlist for outpatient mental health services; families interested and engaged in social services from two state supported projects.
  • * Have been screened and deemed appropriate for services at one of two social service participating community mental health agencies; or engaged in services via navigation projects
  • * N/A

Ages Eligible for Study

0 Years to 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Illinois at Chicago,

Tara Mehta, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Illinois at Chicago

Study Record Dates

2026-02-28