The hub aims to aid efforts in reducing youth mental health boarding in hospitals and emergency departments by providing a free, 24/7 online resource that pairs hospitals with mental health providers, according to an April 20 news release.
Ninety organizations across Minnesota have agreed to participate in the program, which will allow hospitals to input de-identified case information for youth who are boarding in their systems. The hub will then match them to treatment settings across the state.
The system will also produce trend data that will include ages, diagnosis, guardianship status, treatment recommendations, and more. Users will be able to review their network and track trends in real time.
The Metro Health and Medical Preparedness Coalition will provide reporting, case matching, automation tools and facilitate weekly video calls to discuss cases and treatment options in depth.
Currently, over 80 percent of Minnesota counties are designated as having a mental health treatment shortage.
Additionally, the number of kids boarded in emergency departments waiting for mental health treatment has tripled between 2019 and 2021, according to a 2022 report from the Center for Disease Control.
The coalition was made possible through funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
