Mental health and substance abuse disorders often go untreated for parents on Medicaid

The News

For parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, access to treatment can often be the difference between keeping or losing their children. But a new analysis of health and child welfare records found that a significant portion of those who were eligible for Medicaid coverage for such treatment were not getting it.

The analysis, released Friday, by researchers at the nonprofit RTI International and the Department of Health and Human Services found that fewer than half of parents on Medicaid who suffered from substance use disorders who had been referred to authorities for suspected child abuse or neglect had received treatment. /p>

ImageA temporary shelter in Brooklyn.Credit...Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

A little context: Experts say bad situations can often be reversed with treatment.

Mental health and substance abuse crises are rocking the nation, and the effects of parents' drug use and mental illness can quickly trickle down to their children. Public health experts say substance use disorders can cripple a previously diligent parent and lead to the involvement of child protective services.

In 2021 alone, more than seven million children were referred. authorities due to fears of mistreatment, according to a federal report, and more than 200,000 people were evicted from their homes. But research shows that when parents seek treatment for psychiatric and substance use disorders, they...