Implementation and Mental Health Outcomes of a Service Cascade Linking Child Welfare and Children's Mental Health Systems: A Case Study of the Gateway CALL Demonstration.

The mental health needs of children and youth involved in the child welfare system remain largely unmet. Service cascades are an emerging approach to systematizing mental health screening, assessment, and treatment referral processes. However, evidence is minimal and inconsistent regarding the effectiveness of such approaches for improving mental health service access and outcomes.

Does mental health screening and assessment in child welfare improve mental health service receipt, child safety, and permanence for children in out-of-home care? An evaluation of the Gateway CALL demonstration.

Background: Unmet mental health service needs among children in out-of-home care are sometimes attributed to poor assessments and referrals in child welfare. The Gateway CALL project implemented mental health screening, diagnostic assessment, and referral to treatment practices.

Objective: We examined the effectiveness of Gateway CALL for improving children's mental health service receipt, safety, and permanency outcomes.