Wait Time from Mental Health Evaluation to Therapy Appointment
Why we track this indicator
Prolonged wait times for youth and families could increase the likelihood for service refusal and may predict an increase in families struggling to mitigate issues without services and critical care. These two potential consequences are likely to lead to poor socio-emotional adaptations and family resiliency characteristics.
Wait time from Mental Health Evaluation to Therapy Appointment Data Breakdown
Status: Gray
Definition: Wait time is calculated as the average number of days, over the past quarter, from Open Access intake assessment at Oaklawn to attending an appointment for therapy. This information is obtained through a collaborating partner.
Source: Oaklawn Psychiatric Center
Last Updated: January 2025
Mitigating Factors: None reported
Methodology
Methodology: Quarterly average wait time in days is compared to the previous quarter.
Goal: To observe a lower average than the previous quarter.
Traffic Light:
Green: decrease of at least 1 day lower compared to the previous quarter
Gray: within +/- 1 day of compared to the previous quarter
Red: more than 1 day higher compared to the previous quarter
Supporting Research
Mental Health Service Urgency in Children’s Mental Health: Factors Impacting the Need for Expedited Services
Delayed access to mental health services for children and adolescents has been linked to an increased risk of harm and nonattendance to scheduled appointments.
The effect of waiting time on youth engagement to evidence based treatments
Prolonged waiting times to receive mental health services are common and may have negative consequences.
A Preliminary Investigation of Wait Times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Canada
The findings confirm concerns about the prevalence of wait times and their effects on well-being.
Related Indicators
Click to see more data trends related to Wait Time for Urgent Mental Health Evaluation
Oaklawn
Oaklawn is the leading provider of mental health and addiction services in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties. Our specialized services range from skills training and case management to outpatient therapy and inpatient care.
Indicators in Action
The ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program will provide low barrier grants to collaborating partners which will help increase cross-system collaboration and facilitate the community response to needs and/or gaps identified through the Elkhart County Child Dashboard. Applicants may request up to $2,000. Two or more applicants can collaborate for collaborative action based upon one or more data indicators and increase the grant request. By leveraging the ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program partners can have a platform that helps to inform community goals and creates a stronger sustainability platform for their programs.
For a copy of the 1-page proposal template click here or email David Wiegner.