The parents of children with severe mental illness know this cycle all too well: hospitalization, prescriptions, therapy, more hospitalizations, adjustments to meds, more therapy. Some kids with chronic issues need even more. They need in-patient residential treatment. But changes to the child welfare system in Kansas in recent years has left families frustrated that their children can’t get the care they need. What’s more, the people running psychiatric facilities say money-saving rules mean children don’t stay long enough for lasting results. From the Kansas News Service, Madeline Fox reports.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration covering health, education, and politics, across the state.