SAMHSA Grant in Jacksonville to Include Work of CFS
The Kids ‘N Care initiative is a unique integration of System of Care principles with those of the AAP Medical Home Model and Public Health’s Core and Essential Functions to establish a holistic practice model that:
a) responds to the increasingly limited access to behavioral health services
b) integrates evidence-based physical and mental health services
c) is family-centered and driven and maintains cultural and linguistic competencies
d) is sustainable, and
e) can be generalized to other U.S. regions.
Jacksonville, FL has received a 9 million dollar grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help transform mental health services into a system of care that will better meet the needs of children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families. The Kids ‘N Care project will focus initially on children in foster care and the juvenile justice system, homeless children, as well as young, high-risk children in challenged neighborhoods.
The Department of Child & Family Studies (CFS), having a long track record of assisting other communities with similar projects, has been sub-contracted to provide technical assistance. Drs. Mary Armstrong and Norín Dollard, along with youth consultant Richard Chapman, will be involved with activities related to ensuring the system of care is sustainable, replicable, values family and youth participation, and provides culturally competent services.
CFS will work in collaboration with the Institute of Health, Policy and Evaluation Research, a partnership between the University of Florida and Duval County Health Department.
A breakdown of the six year grant is as follows:
- Year 1 will establish a family driven and youth guided Governance, committee, policy and management infrastructure. By the end of the first year, all children entering into the Child Welfare system will be enrolled in the system-of-care.
- Year 2 will enroll children at-risk for entry into the Child Welfare System, e.g., homeless children.
- Years 2-6 will engage children in the Juvenile Justice system, particularly those being discharged from the detention center.
- By Year 6, two to four thousand young adults per year will be engaged through the JJ system.
CFS’s Dr. Norín Dollard, serving as Evaluation Director and CFS Principal Investigator, will work with team members and families to document the number of children and families served and how their home, school and community functioning and satisfaction were affected by participation in Kids ‘N Care. For additional information, contact Dr. Dollard.