Children boarding in emergency departments (EDs) while waiting for mental health (MH) resources has been a long-standing challenge in Vermont. The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems collects point-in-time data on people waiting for mental health placement in emergency departments. Of note for adult mental health discharges, this is a more limited data set, but for children, it represents the entire picture, since Vermont’s only mental health inpatient unit for children is the Brattleboro Retreat (which does not have an emergency department).
The chart below includes outpatient Emergency Department (ED) discharges by calendar year for patients age 0-17 with a primary diagnosis of Mental Health. Outpatient ED discharges are those in which a person was served by the ED but was not admitted to the hospital as an inpatient.
Data Source
Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. Provided by the Director of Policy Analysis and Development. Data unpublished.
Related Indicators
Children Receiving Crisis Services from Designated Mental Health Agencies – The indicator chart shows the number of children under 9 receiving crisis services from Vermont’s Designated Mental Health Agencies.
Related Indicators
Children in Residential Care – The indicator chart shows the number of children by age in residential treatment over time.