THE MASSACHUSETTS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
PROGRAM FOR YOUTH
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Cambridge Health Alliance
Katherine E. Grimes, M.D., M.P.H., Richard Frank, Ph.D., Michael Ganz, M.S., Ph.D., Christina Hoven, Dr.P.H., Virginia Mulkern, Ph.D
The Massachusetts Mental Health Services Program for Youth (MA-MHSPY) is a study of children between the ages of three and eighteen who are insured via Medicaid. The study is based on an unique interagency collaboration involving the State Departments of Medical Assistance, Social Services, Youth Services (juvenile justice), Mental Health and Education, in which categorical funds are blended to purchase an individual combination of: primary and specialty managed care (via Neighborhood Health Plan), traditional and non-traditional mental health services, family, educational and community supports, mentoring, care coordination and care management. In addition to Medicaid coverage, age and residency requirements, other eligibility criteria developed by the interagency MHSPY Steering Committee include: persistent symptoms of serious emotional disturbance, risk of out of home placement, significantly impaired functioning (>40 on CAFAS), eligible for services from at least two state agencies, and parent or guardian consent. The intent is to determine whether family focused, individualized, community based and highly coordinated care can offer advantages in functional outcomes, service utilization, satisfaction and cost. Care Management is offered via experienced clinicians who both facilitate the child's Care Planning Team as well as work directly with the child and family. Specific outcome measures are collected from both the traditional services cohort and the intervention group regarding school, family and community functioning. In addition, the intervention group's data from the twelve month's prior to enrollment is used for comparison.
Grant Support. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Project Sites. The primary MA-MHSPY research site is the Cambridge Health Alliance. Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP) administers the program and care is delivered in a variety of community based sites, including Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (HVMA).
Project Director. Katherine E. Grimes, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance, 614 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139. Phone: 617-503-2407; FAX: 617-503-2426.
Training Opportunities. Placements available for child psychiatric residents and other students in a variety of graduate programs to fulfill elective credit.
Representative Publications.
Grimes, K.E. (1990). Child Patient Assessment Tool, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston,
Massachusetts.
Grimes, K.E. (1994). Protecting and Improving Quality of Care for Children Under Health Care Reform.
Washington, DC; National Research Council, Institute of Medicine.
Grimes, K.E. (2001). MA-MHSPY: An Integrated System of Care. In ed. Newman, C. Building a Research
Base. Research and Training Center, University of South Florida, Tampa.