By HANNAH MILNER
Guest Columnist
Physical assaults. Mental abuse. Removal from your only home. These early traumas cause a host of mental health issues for Indiana’s foster children well into adulthood.
In fact, studies show that 30 percent of foster youth will experience PTSD symptoms. That’s twice the rate of PTSD among U.S. war veterans.
Most of the state’s older foster youth are on Medicaid. The waitlist to get into a mental health provider who accepts Medicaid can be four to eight weeks. In a time of crisis, that is unacceptable.
At Foster Success, we’ve found that if these young people miss the small window where they are seeking help, then they won’t get mental healthcare at all. They’ll move on without addressing their issues, or their mental illness will have devastating impacts on their lives.
That’s why Foster Success recently launched a new program to help teens and young adults who have been in the foster care system overcome barriers to mental health treatment. The Mental Health Acceptance, Promotion & Support (M.A.P.S.) Initiative works to connect participants to continuous mental health services, while providing up to eight free therapy sessions in the meantime.
The program is for those:
- Between 18 and 25 years old
- Who have spent at least one day in foster care in Indiana at or after the age of 14
- Not already connected to a mental health provider
- Seeking to be enrolled in consistent mental health services.
Foster Success is contracting with multiple mental health service providers to offer more immediate services to fill the gap until these young people can find a more permanent provider. The initiative also works with young people to overcome consistent barriers to treatment such as accessibility, finances, and more.
M.A.P.S. is funded by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction through a two-year, $291,250 grant.
The hope is that the intervention will strengthen the social networks and resources for these young adults and help them gain the long-term treatment they need, allowing them to heal, find peace, and lead thriving lives.
Hannah Milner is the Director of Health & Financial Well-Being at Foster Success. Learn more at FosterSuccess.org.