Children’s services models

Magellan Healthcare sets the benchmark for new advancements in behavioral health and child care models. Our thought leadership is nationally recognized and we share it with you through the resources on this page.

Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Children and Adolescents at High Risk: Foundations of a Model

Our comprehensive approach is youth-guided and family-driven to achieve the best outcomes and high member satisfaction. Within complex care delivery systems, we effectively integrate and coordinate care, focusing on the individual needs, strengths, preferences and culture of each child and youth.

Originally published in 2015, our monograph highlights the evidence-based research on the prevention and treatment of problematic behaviors and various types of behavioral health challenges in children and adolescents that underpins our model of care for serving children, youth and their families.

2020 revision 

In December 2020, Magellan completed an extensive review and update of the monograph to incorporate the most current behavioral health research, including the following, and continue to serve as a resource for youth, families, policymakers and advocates, community stakeholders, and providers in understanding issues and barriers involved in the treatment of children and youth:

• Children with parents who have mental health and/or substance use disorders
• Childhood trauma and trauma-informed care
• Youth drug use trends
• Youth suicide and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic
• Monitoring clinical, social and adaptive outcomes

Learn more about our children’s model in the monograph and summary document below:

Appropriate use of psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents

Today, children and adolescents with behavioral health challenges are generally prescribed an alarming number of medications. This high prescription rate, paired with questions about the appropriateness of the diagnoses used to justify the drugs’ use, has raised many concerns among families, practitioners and youth advocates alike. Prescribing psychotropic medications to children and adolescents can be appropriate, but parents, caregivers and practitioners need to fully understand the risks and monitor their use.

Magellan Health has had its eye on this issue for years, publishing a popular monograph on the topic in 2013, which addressed the anxiety and confusion around the issue. 

2017 revision

Leveraging new data and research, we released an update including:

• New indications since 2013
• Listing of psychotropic drugs commonly prescribed for children, including brand-name medications
  • This first-in-the-industry summary of medications has been widely used by primary care physicians, pediatricians and behavioral health providers who treat children and teens.
• A section outlining states’ approaches to children’s drug monitoring programs

Access the monograph and more on this topic in our publications below: