How does the benefits package help achieve desired outcomes, cost containment and fiscal responsibility?
The failure to identify the needs of children and youth early, and to provide effective services results in costs for deep-end and expensive services, whether those be in the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, substance abuse, education, or physical health system. It also results in expenses that last into adulthood and cuts across generations. Children without good mental health are more likely to start famiies earlier and create multiple generations of children who have special needs and are unable to make a full contribution to our society. We typically take too narrow a view of the cost-benefit – we need to take a longitudinal, multi-generational, and multi-sector view. How do population-based public health services help achieve desired outcomes, cost containment and fiscal responsibility? Approximately 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental disorder, and about 1 in 10 have a disorder that significantly impairs their functioning at home, in school, or in the communi
