The N.C. Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SAS) is the recipient of a competitive, four-year, $1.2-million System of Care Expansion Implementation grant.
The grant will aid the physical and behavioral health of children and youth with emotional disturbances who face challenges in their lives at home, in school and in social situations in their communities.
“It is an exciting opportunity to put into place improvements that will provide help for some of our most vulnerable children, youth and families,” said Dr. Courtney Cantrell, Director of DMH/DD/SAS. “It is an important step as we continue to move toward an integrated care system.”
The grant, awarded this fall, is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. It will help through expansion of the System of Care. Improvements include development of:
- a comprehensive service array for North Carolina’s child-serving system
- administration in five pilot sites of Community Readiness Self-Assessment
- a strategic Workforce Development Plan
- a communications planning component, and
- tools to measure and evaluate critical components, such as communication effectiveness, impact of Family Partners engagements, and the impact of improved Child and Family Teams.
Systems of Care (SOC) are coordinated networks of community services and supports organized to meet these challenges and recognizes the importance of family, school and community, and promote each child’s full potential by addressing physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs.
The strategic plan is developed in close partnership with youth and their families. It also includes collaboration with child welfare, education, juvenile justice, substance abuse, primary care and other child-serving organizations. It is the result of activities related to the Expansion Planning Cooperative Agreement and will be instrumental in increasing SOC communications and infrastructure.
The goal of the strategic plan is to see the SOC implemented across the state to improve management of health care costs and well-being and outcomes for children and youth and their families.
The SOC expansion goals focus on the development of a strategic plan in the context of the managed care environment of the state’s public service delivery system for mental health that addresses health reform, the continuum of services, family and youth organizations as well as collaboration among agencies that will extend beyond the grant funding period.
For more information about the System of Care, please visit our website: www.ncdhhs.gov/mhddsas/providers/childandfamilymhs/index.htm.