This paper demonstrates the feasibility of building behavioral health risk indicators for children from integrated medical and behavioral health service data. We analyze data for children and young adults enrolled in Medicaid in Washington State, to assess the degree to which risk indicators experienced in the past were predictive of higher future inpatient and emergency department (ED) service utilization. Several risk indicators are found to be strongly predictive of future utilization. These findings point to the potential for these risk indicators to help treating providers, health plans and behavioral health plans proactively target services towards children and young adults with behavioral health needs.
