About the Data: Percent of Adults and Children with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness Who Got Treatment

Data Description
Data Source(s): Cherokee Indian Hospital RPMS data

Prior Use on EBCI THIP: No

Measure Definition: Percent of patients ages 10+ with a serious and persistent mental illness who received treatment.

Baseline (Annual):

• 2018: 17.97%

Target: 19.77%

Target-Setting Method: 10% increase from baseline (17.97%).

Annual Data Overview

Additional Details

• Numerator Details: Number of CIHA AI/AN active users diagnosed with a serious and persistent mental illness who received treatment.
• Denominator Details: CIHA AI/AN active user (2+ visits in past 3 years) population that live in the service area and are ages 10+.

Comparable National Data: Unknown

Data Collection Frequency: Annual

Story Behind the Curve

The percentage of adults and children with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) who received treatment has shown steady improvement over the years, surpassing the baseline of 17.97% to reach 19.21% in 2023. This growth reflects targeted efforts to improve access and reduce barriers to treatment.

Efforts included the training of Analenisgi staff in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Positive Indian Parenting (PIP), ensuring culturally sensitive and age-appropriate therapeutic options for children and families. Additionally, services expanded to Dora Reed, where early interventions aimed at the 0–5 population were introduced, addressing mental health issues at a crucial developmental stage.

Collaboration with Cherokee Central Schools (CCS) further supported the curve by providing a risk assessment tool, grief groups, and hiring outpatient therapists to serve students from elementary to high school. These actions likely contributed to increased identification and treatment of SPMI in youth and their families.

Partners

Key Partners

1. Analenisgi Staff: Provided therapeutic services and training in CPP and PIP, expanding care to children and families.
2. Cherokee Central Schools (CCS): Collaborated on risk assessments, suicide prevention, and therapeutic services.
3. Dora Reed Head Start: Hosted expanded early intervention services for young children.
4. Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA): Supported the hiring of outpatient therapists to increase access to care across school-aged populations.
5. Parenting Workgroup: Helped develop culturally relevant parenting programs to support caregivers in addressing mental health needs.

What Worked

1. Expanded Access to Therapy: Hiring outpatient therapists and providing grief groups at CCS ensured that children and adolescents had access to timely and appropriate care.
2. Early Intervention at Dora Reed: Targeting the 0–5 population with CPP and parenting support emphasized preventive measures and long-term benefits for mental health.
3. Collaboration with Schools: Risk assessments, suicide prevention initiatives, and direct therapeutic services created a comprehensive approach to mental health in the school system.
4. Cultural Relevance: Positive Indian Parenting (PIP) and other culturally tailored interventions ensured that programs were relevant and effective for the community.

Strategy

The Mental Health and Well-Being subcommittee focused on improving access to care and fostering community collaboration:

1. School-Based Interventions: Collaborated with Cherokee Central Schools to implement grief groups, risk assessments, and suicide prevention strategies. Hired outpatient therapists for elementary, middle, and high schools to enhance service delivery.
2. Early Intervention Programs: Expanded services at Dora Reed, targeting children ages 0–5 with CPP and parenting support to address mental health concerns early in life.
3. Parenting Support: Implemented culturally relevant programs like Positive Indian Parenting (PIP), with trained staff delivering sessions to caregivers in the community.
4. Comprehensive Support Services: Strengthened partnerships with Analenisgi and CIHA to ensure the availability of tailored services for children, adolescents, and their families.

These strategies demonstrated a commitment to addressing SPMI comprehensively, ensuring culturally sensitive, age-appropriate, and accessible interventions.