#UMNMCH student, Ingri L. Ramirez-Martin (MPH 2025), describes her experience working with the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative (RCCMHC). The RCCMHC works to improve access to mental health services for children and families. The organization emphasizes a holistic approach, advocating for care coordination and resource navigation to address the mental health needs of both children and their caregivers.
What were the goals of your experience? What did you work on or address?
The goals of my work with the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative (RCCMHC) were to improve access to mental health services for children and families. I focused on resource navigation, care coordination, and advocating for a whole-family approach to mental health. This approach emphasizes the connection between the mental health of children and parents, recognizing that supporting the mental well-being of mothers, especially those experiencing challenges like maternal depression, is crucial to improving family outcomes.
What was accomplished or produced during your work with RCCMHC?
I worked to identify and address obstacles to mental health care. I utilized an intake resource navigation tool to help guide families through the mental health support system and gather information about their challenges. Additionally, I advocated for and supported “whole-family” mental health services, ensuring that all family members had access to the resources necessary to support both their mental health and that of their children.
How will (or do you hope) your efforts/findings will be used in the future?
I hope my work at RCCMHC will help shape future efforts to provide comprehensive, family-centered mental health services that address both children’s and mothers’ needs. As someone who aspires to become a medical provider in the future, I believe that emphasizing mental health is essential for the overall well-being of families. My experience has reinforced my commitment to integrated care systems that recognize the interconnectedness of parents’ and children’s mental health, ensuring better long-term outcomes for all.
What was the best thing about your work with RCCMHC?
The best part was witnessing the impact of a holistic, whole-family approach to mental health. By helping families navigate the complexities of mental health systems, I saw how addressing the needs of both children and caregivers led to better outcomes. I also valued the opportunity to learn about the mental health outcomes faced by families of color and how maternal mental health plays a critical role in shaping children’s mental health outcomes.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
One key takeaway from my experience was how vital it is to integrate maternal health and child mental health services. It was particularly interesting to observe that mothers, often the primary seekers of mental health support for their children, played a central role in the process. Almost every time I met with a family, I conducted the intake with the mother, highlighting how their emotional well-being directly influences the mental health of their children.
REFERENCES
The need. RCCMHC. (2023). https://www.rccmhc.org/the-need
Ramsey County Community Health Assessment (2018.). https://www.ramseycounty.us/sites/default/files/Departments/Public%20Health/CHA/Emotional%20Distress%20-%20Youth_Final.pdf
BIO
Ingri L. Ramirez is a second-year MCH MPH student who will graduate in May 2025. She received her B.A. from Augsburg University in 2023.
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