The Real Reason Foster Youth Struggle To Access Care with Michelle Turner, founder and CEO of Here Now Health

Stability and early mental health care are the biggest levers for improving outcomes for kids impacted by foster care.

In this episode, Michelle Turner, founder and CEO of Here Now Health, shares how her experience as a foster parent revealed critical gaps in mental healthcare access for children and young adults in the child welfare system. She explains how placement instability, case manager turnover, and reliance on crisis care undermine long-term stability and permanency. Michelle explores why foster youth drive significantly higher Medicaid spending due to emergency interventions rather than preventive care, and how virtual, trauma-informed therapy that follows the child can improve outcomes. She closes with insights on caregiver support and how Medicaid and policy can be better leveraged as preventive tools designed specifically for foster youth.

Tune in and learn how targeted, trauma-informed virtual care can prevent crisis, stabilize families, and transform outcomes for foster youth!

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Michelle Turner on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Here Now Health on their LinkedIn and explore their website.