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Access To Mental Health Care For Young Adults

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http://media.soundmedicine.org/segments/040713_3.mp3

According to a 2009 study conducted by the Social Care Institute for Excellence, when children with mental disorders transition into adolescence and again into adulthood, they slip out of their health care programs. Kim Walton, M.S.N., chief clinical officer for behavioral care services at Community Health Network, says that access to mental health care is getting better but there is still a stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental disorders, especially in young adults. George Hurd, chief operating officer of Lutheran Child and Family Services, runs a residential home for young men with mental disorders. Hurd also runs the Trinity House, a residential home that focuses on life skills training for young adults with mental disorders. According to Hurd, children can achieve success through mental health treatment. Hurd emphasizes the importance of family support and the correct treatment, they can become productive members of society.