A December 2021 advisory from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addresses the nation's youth mental health crisis "further exposed by COVID-19 pandemic," filled with alarming statistics that Clarity CGC is experiencing in real time:

• Before COVID-19, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. having a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder.
• From 2009 to 2019, the share of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40%, to more than 1 in 3 students.
• Suicidal behaviors among high school students also increased during the decade preceding COVID, with 19% seriously considering attempting suicide, a 36% increase from 2009 to 2019, and about 16% having made a suicide plan in the prior year, a 44% increase from 2009 to 2019.
• Between 2007 and 2018, suicide rates among youth ages 10-24 in the U.S. increased by 57%, and early estimates show more than 6,600 suicide deaths among this age group in 2020.

Besides Clarity's continuum of care cited above, CCGC develops many community partnerships and collaborations aimed at quality assurance, providing parent education, increasing children served, increasing children's mental health providers, and reducing duplication of services with partners and United Way partner agencies including:

• Reciprocate patient referrals with Center for Health Care Services, Hill Country MHDD Centers, Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, Stonebridge Alliance, San Marcos Treatment Center, St. PJ's Children's Home, The Cohen Clinic, Meridell Achievement Center and many others.
• "Food for the Soul" initiative allows volunteers to bring in and serve meals to the kids. Other volunteer opportunities (clar- itycgc.org/get-involved) include gardening, campus upkeep ("Caring for Clarity"), in-kind donation drives ("Bridge the Gap") to provide food and clothing, and an on-going Amazon wish list for clothing and educational supplies (amazon.com/registries/custom/3O2VBGA8FTE8L).

With the right treatment, the response rate for psychiatric disorders is high. Prevention programs and parental participation in treatment can reduce symptoms by as much as 60% in school age children; 81% of children with anxiety respond in as little as 12 weeks, and 86% of children experiencing depression improve within 36 weeks.

In FY20, Clarity CGC treated over 5,600 children with 18,497 inpatient nights, 6,860 day treatment days, and 27,255 outpatient visits. Children served resided predominantly in Bexar County with remaining from 48 other Texas counties and 7 states outside of Texas who could not find or afford services in their area. 60% were uninsured, under-insured, or low-income.

Clarity CGC accepts most insurance and accommodates families by billing them on a sliding scale based on their income. However, for uninsured patients, mental health treatment remains cost prohibitive, and insurance company reimbursements, especially for companies such as CHIP and Managed Medicaid, do not fully cover the cost of treatment. Day treatment is often completely excluded from coverage.

Clarity serves all children in need of care, regardless of their fam

ily's ability to pay.

Professional education and CEUs are offered at Claritycon, a children's mental health conferences sponsored by CCGC. Claritycon has three options for attendance: live in-person at studios of KLRNPBS TV; live virtual; or digital on-demand. Registration is now open for the February 18 Claritycon from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. featuring these experts in mental health and children; contact events@claritycgc.org or 210-593-2148, or visit claritycgc.org/annual-confer- ence-claritycon:

• "Law Enforcement Working with Children and Adolescents: Perceptions, Strategies, and Future Development" - Brandi Burque-DeCarlo, PhD, a psychologist with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, will explore the perceptions and perspectives of the importance of law enforcement interacting with children and adolescents in various environments, review potential future developments and how mental health providers can play a role in these interactions. She is responsible for providing psychological treatment for police officers and their families, teaching classes for the police academy, and on call with their Crisis Negotiation Unit.

In 2020, Clarity CGC treated over 5,600 children with 18,497 inpatient nights, 6,860 day treatment days, and 27,255 outpatient visits. 60% were uninsured, under-insured, or low-income.

• "Strong Families, Strong Forces: An Innovative Program to Support Family Systems" - Vanessa Jacoby, PhD, an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, provides clinical services to active-duty service members and their families for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Prolonged Exposure.
• "Migrant Children" - Monica Faulkner, PhD, LMSW, is a Research Associate Professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin and director/co-founder of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing. She has worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and as a case manager for children in foster care. She worked in the Texas Legislature focusing on policy issues related to health and human services for two sessions. •

ABOUT THE CLARITY CHILD GUIDANCE CENTER

Clarity Child Guidance Center's mission is to help children, adolescents, and families overcome the disabling effects of mental illness and improve their ability to function successfully at home, at school, and in the community. Those wanting more information can visit claritycgc.org or contact 210-616-0300 or info@claritycgc.org. Those wanting to donate can visit claritycgc.org/give-now