Why Waiting for Crisis Is Failing Our Kids: The Power of Early Mental Health Intervention

“Why are we waiting until kids are falling apart before we help them?”
— Jocelyn Guyer, Nobody’s Perfect Podcast

In a recent episode of the Nobody’s Perfect podcast, host Jason Hopcus and Heidi Baskfield of Speak Our Minds sit down with health policy expert Jocelyn Guyer to unpack a powerful truth: we don’t have to wait for kids to hit rock bottom to offer support.

In fact, federal law already provides a tool to help us act early—but most people have never heard of it.

What Is EPSDT and Why Does It Matter?

EPSDT stands for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment—a critical but underutilized benefit within Medicaid that requires states to provide comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under 21.

This includes mental and behavioral health care, tailored to each child’s needs. The goal? Catch problems early, treat them proactively, and avoid more serious and costly interventions later.

But here’s the problem: even though EPSDT is the law, it’s rarely understood or fully implemented—especially when it comes to mental health care.

The Cost of Waiting

As Guyer explains in the episode, we’ve built a system that too often waits until a child is in crisis before stepping in. That means:

• Kids go without early screenings or support

• Families navigate stigma and confusion alone

• Emergency rooms and residential facilities become the first stop instead of the last resort

When we delay care, we create unnecessary suffering—and we miss a huge opportunity to help kids thrive instead of just survive.

Early Intervention Is Prevention

The truth is, early mental health support changes outcomes. It reduces hospitalizations, lowers the need for expensive long-term services, and helps young people stay engaged in school, relationships, and life.

EPSDT was designed with this in mind. When implemented well, it’s a system built for prevention—not punishment.

So What Needs to Change?

In this candid and eye-opening conversation, Guyer calls on policymakers, providers, and advocates to:

• Understand and enforce the full scope of EPSDT

• Educate families on their rights under Medicaid

• Align care models—especially in schools and hospitals—with prevention first

• Push for policy changes that ensure EPSDT’s promise becomes a lived reality for every child

Listen to the Full Episode

In this episode of Nobody’s Perfect, you’ll hear:

• A breakdown of what EPSDT really requires

• How “medical necessity” opens the door to individualized services

• Which states are doing it right—and where we need to go further

• What system-level changes could improve youth mental health for generations

👉 Listen now: https://www.nobodysperfect.community/podcasts
📲 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Final Thoughts

Kids shouldn’t have to break to get help.

If we want to support the next generation, we need to stop waiting for crisis—and start building systems that see, support, and intervene early. EPSDT gives us that chance. The time to act is now.

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