The TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University celebrates its launch this month as a national center dedicated to early detection of mental illness in youth. TeenScreen’s range of programs and services establishes it as a leading force in the early identification of mental illness in teens and in prevention and public health. The National Center’s goals are to have scientifically-validated mental health screenings included as a routine procedure in adolescent primary health care offices, schools and other youth-serving settings and to produce greater access to youth mental health checkups across the nation. TeenScreen Schools and Communities, formerly known as the Columbia University TeenScreen Program, is the National Center for Mental Health Checkups’ flagship program, offering voluntary screening to teens and their families through more than 700 local TeenScreen sites in 43 U.S. states. TeenScreen Primary Care is a new initiative of the National Center that aims to integrate routine mental health screening into adolescent primary care. TeenScreen Primary Care is being implemented through partnerships with managed care companies, hospitals and health centers in five states.

A critical focus for the National Center is the advancement of federal and state policies that expand access to mental health checkups in primary care, youth services, schools and programs. The National Center is a free resource for policymakers, professional associations, and health and mental health care providers. Additionally, the center provides information and guidance to education professionals, community groups and the media.

 The recent enactment of the federal Mental Health Parity Act (Oct. 2008) provides timely and significant support for the expansion of mental health checkups. The act aims to provide equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health and to reduce barriers to care. It creates a greater need for the use of validated screening instruments as part of its efforts to increase access to mental health services.

The National Center is supported by a 4-year, $12 million commitment from the Carmel Hill Fund, a private family foundation. The center accepts no funding from the pharmaceutical industry and does not advocate for any specific treatment.