Shella Dennery sits quietly at the back of a pre-kindergarten classroom, jotting down notes about the interactions and behaviors she sees. She knows that five out of the 25 students seated around her will most likely develop a mental health concern, and chances are only one of those five children will go on to seek help.

It’s a grim statistic, especially considering that children with untreated mental health issues are more likely to perform poorly in school, have run-ins with the law and fall into poverty during adulthood.

Shella is one of 25 clinicians with Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships (CHNP), which works with 13 Boston schools, six health centers and several community organizations to provide counseling and mental health services to the children of Boston. Last year, we reached more than 2,200 young people and 600 parents through CHNP.

Children’s Hospital Boston realizes the growing need for easy-to-access mental health care. CHNP is meeting this need by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services where children need them the most — in their schools and communities. The partnership has added psychiatrists at six community health centers, including our own Martha Eliot Health Center, to provide care in environments where families are most comfortable.

Through our Advocating Success for Kids (ASK) program, we offer behavioral and mental health services at Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center and at three community health centers. ASK provides assessment, treatment plans and interventions for children with emotional and learning issues. 

Children’s has also developed the only hospital-based mental health advocacy program of its kind in the United States: the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Advocacy Initiative. The program is designed to spark broad changes in the mental health system and improve how children gain access to mental health services.