Abstract for: From Crisis to Care: Unraveling Crisis Pathways and Assessing Strategic Interventions to Improve Access to Acute Mental Health

Communities are struggling to meet the needs of youth in acute mental health crisis due to a complex treatment system with limited resources. The lack of capacity across the continuum of care complicates decision-making about capacity expansion. If strategic decisions ignore this complexity, overall system performance may decline, leading to worse patient outcomes. This project aims to examine the effects of increasing mental health treatment capacity for youth in Oregon. We are developing a system dynamics model utilizing quantitative and qualitative data to specify the model and illustrate the care pathways by which youth move through the acute behavioral health system. We have engaged with experts and providers throughout the youth mental health continuum, gaining valuable insights into referral and discharge patterns, the duration of care, and the barriers that impact youth transitions. Currently, our model illustrates key capacity constraints and extensive boarding times across four components of care. Future steps include adding more levels of care and crisis services, followed by seeking expert feedback on our prototype. We anticipate the model will reflect real-world dynamics and identify leverage points for change, empowering Oregon legislators to make informed decisions about capacity expansion and investment strategies. This project adopts a holistic approach to address capacity challenges faced by youth within Oregon's mental health system. Once completed, we believe this model can be adapted to represent different communities and could be used by various stakeholders to examine the systemic dynamics of interventions within their own youth acute mental health system. We hope to solicit feedback for refining the model and discussing solutions to complex modeling challenges.