(2011), mental disorders comprise approximately 14% of the global burden, 11.4% of TAY receive mental health services. Mental disorders alone are an important public health issue due to their early onset, impairment, and impact on the individual, family, and their community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in one given year, 13% to 20% of adolescents living in the United States experience a mental disorder (Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative [CAHMI], 2012). About one-half of the mental health conditions begin by the age of fourteen, and 75% of mental health conditions develop by the age of twenty-four (NAMI, 2015; Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs [AMCHP], 2011). ). Individuals living with a mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions. Mental health illnesses know no age limit, it is known that adults in the United States living with a serious mental illness die about 25 years earlier than others (NAMI, 2015; AMCHP, 2011). Mental health services (including health care and other services) in the United States are expensive with an estimated 247 billion dollars spent per year (CAHMI, …show more content…
Sixty percent of TAY with mental health illnesses drop out of high school. Due to the incompletion of high school, these young adults are unemployed, unable to continue their education, and thus lack life skills needed for adulthood (Ghandour et al., 2010; BCMH law, 2004; NAMI, 2015). Another unmet need on top of lack of education, TAY with mental health issues in San Francisco County, are at an increased risk of suicide (NAMI, 2015). According to BCMH law (2004), there is approximately 20% of young adults that have contemplated suicide or attempted suicide that are receiving treatment for emotional and behavioral