University of Illinois at Chicago
Many youth with disabilities and their families receive "care coordination services" from a state Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) agency. MCHB care coordination services help youth with disabilities get the medical care and social services they need to be healthy. Complex HEalth Care for Kids (CHECK) developed a program to combine mental health treatment and care coordination services for youth with disabilities. The goal of this study is to see whether a care coordination program that treats depression and anxiety (MCHB care coordination + CHECK) is better than a care coordination program (MCHB care coordination alone) that refers youth to mental health services in terms of making youth feel healthier, happier, and able to handle future challenges. The project team will test which care coordination approach is better at making youth with disabilities: (Aim 1) less anxious and depressed; (Aim 2) feel healthier, function better, and practice healthy habits; (Aim 3) improve their ability to manage their health. This study will also evaluate which approach makes (Aim 4) youth, caregivers, and providers feel more satisfied with their care coordination experience. This study will give youth with disabilities and their families information about what kinds of care coordination models are available, and better suited to their needs. The study team will reach out to 780 youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, age 13-20 years old, who receive care coordination services from the state of Illinois MCHB. If these youth are eligible and agree to be in the study, they will be placed, by chance, into either MCHB care coordination alone or into the MCHB care coordination + CHECK program. In both groups, youth will have a care coordinator who helps them identify and make plans to meet their needs and provides referrals to services/resources. Youth in the MCHB care coordination + CHECK care coordination will get mental health treatment directly from CHECK staff if they report symptoms of depression or anxiety. Treatment may include an online program or group meetings that teach youth how to cope with negative thoughts and feelings. Youth in each group will be followed for 24 months and will receive gift cards for participating. Youth will be asked questions about anxiety and depression, health, functioning, ability to manage their health care, self-efficacy, and their experience with care coordination.
Background and Significance : Youth (13-20 years) with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) often struggle with depression and anxiety disorders, which adversely impacts transition to adulthood. Integrated behavioral health care coordination, in which care coordinators and behavioral health specialists work together to provide systematic, cost-effective, patient-centered care, is an effective strategy to improve access to behavioral health services and address factors that impact transition to adulthood, including depression/anxiety symptoms. Current widely used care coordinat…
Inclusion Criteria: A) Youth ages 13 through 20 years, B) who have an I/DD (caregiver/self-report), and C) are enrolled in MCHB care through the IL DSCC Exclusion Criteria: A) Participant has a severe ID (IQ \<50) (caregiver/self-report); ( B) Participant has a reading/comprehension level below 4th grade (caregiver/self-report); or C) Participant is unable to consent to participate in the study based on the MacArthur Competency Assessment Tool Checklist of Questions (MacCAT-CR).
Teens Achieving Mastery over Stress (TEAMS) has been adapted for use with youth with I/DD. The intervention consists of virtual, manualized treatment groups for 10 weekly, 75-minute sessions plus 6 monthly, 60-minute sessions. Caregivers of participants will meet twice: weeks one and 16.
Teens Achieving Mastery over Stress (TEAMS) has been adapted for youth with I/DD. TEAMS Prevention is a 10-session group depression prevention program teaching teens how to deal with stress and negative moods, and ways to manage low mood based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and strategies. Efficacy has been demonstrated by several trials over time.
Competent Adulthood Transition with Cognitive-behavioral \& Interpersonal Training (CATCH-IT) has been adapted for youth with I/DD. CATCH-IT is an internet-based depression prevention program that targets decreasing modifiable risk factors while enhancing protective factors in at-risk adolescents, and that includes a parent program. It has been shown to be safe, feasible, and efficacious. All adolescents will receive 8 engagement texts during their participation in the study - at 1-week, 1-month, 6-weeks, and 2-, 3-, 5-, and 5.5-months - to encourage participation in the online modules.
The Strengthening Families caregiving curriculum is an evidence-based, self-directed, virtual skills training for caregivers. Information and instructions on accessing the Strengthening Families parenting skills training curriculum will be included on the virtual resource website https://strengtheningfamilieslessons.org/.
The BEST project will host a total of 10 virtual psycho-educational workshops per year (5 for participants and 5 for caregivers) for the duration of the intervention period of the study. Workshops will be delivered remotely via Zoom and facilitated by graduate students in health/behavioral health. Simultaneous language interpreter services will be provided. Principles of universal design in learning will be applied to the content and delivery of workshops. Workshops are an optional resource available to all participants and families in the intervention condition. Topics for the virtual discussion groups will be determined based on pilot data and input from participants and caregivers.
MCHB Care Coordination, funded through the Social Security Act of 1935 Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program, is the oldest and most universal care coordination model for children with I/DD. MCHB Care Coordination involves: comprehensive needs assessments, person-centered planning, and linkage to health care and social resources. MCHB care coordination has established efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability in improving child and family functioning, youth health, and health care access.