Mental health engagement among foster and adopted youth: The transition from in-person to telemental health services

By Vanessa Perez, Matthew Ruderman, Meghan Kussman, Jill Waterman, Audra Langley
Published in Social Work in Mental Health, 21(2), 203-221.

ABSTRACT
Using the electronic health records of 55 foster and adopted youth, this study compared in-person mental health service utilization to telemental health (TMH) service utilization during COVID-19. Clients attended a greater number of therapy sessions, had more accumulated session time, and had shorter sessions via TMH compared to in-person. Similar results were found for school-aged children, females, and caregivers who engaged in their children’s treatment. Notably, for non-significant differences in engagement, engagement numbers during TMH were always higher than in-person services.

KEYWORDS
Telemental health, engagement, service utilization, foster care, COVID-19

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