Barriers to Mental Health Treatment Utilization in Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC: A Qualitative Pilot Study.

There is a paucity of data on barriers to mental health treatment utilization among residents of Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC, despite exposure to many environmental factors that are associated with poor mental health outcomes and the high prevalence of mental health problems among residents. The objective of this study was to examine barriers to mental healthcare utilization among residents of Wards 7 and 8. This study included semi-structured, in-depth interviews with five key informants who lived or spent significant time in Wards 7 or 8 in Washington, DC, which are the wards served by Paving the Way MSI, a behavioral health clinic that served as a partner organization in the study.

Collaboration Across the Safety Net in the Era of Health Reform: Opportunities or Obstacles?

While implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act brings significant opportunities for safety net providers (SNP), local systems vary in how well they adapt to the rapidly evolving environment. Collaboration may enhance SNP capacity to leverage opportunities in the health reform era. Our study examines key opportunities and challenges SNPs face under health reform and how providers use collaboration as a strategy to adapt to the new environment.

Privacy and Confidentiality Practices In Adolescent Family Planning Care At Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Context: The confidentiality of family planning services remains a high priority to adolescents, but barriers to implementing confidentiality and privacy practices exist in settings designed for teenagers who are medically underserved, including federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

Methods: A sample of 423 FQHCs surveyed in 2011 provided information on their use of five selected privacy and confidentiality practices, which were examined separately and combined into an index. Regression modeling was used to assess whether various state policies and organizational characteristics were associated with FQHCs' scores on the index.

The Role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Delivering Family Planning Services to Adolescents.

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to examine the role of community health centers (CHCs) in providing comprehensive family planning services to adolescents, looking at the range of services offered and factors associated with provision of these services.

Methods: This study employed a mixed methods approach comprising a national survey of CHCs and six in-depth case studies of health centers to examine the organization and delivery of family planning services. We developed an adolescent family planning index comprising nine family planning services specifically tailored to adolescents.

The organization and delivery of family planning services in community health centers.

Background: Family planning and related reproductive health services are essential primary care services for women. Access is limited for women with low incomes and those living in medically underserved areas. Little information is available on how federally funded health centers organize and provide family planning services.