CFS Faculty Present at National System of Care Community Meeting in Portland
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) research faculty were among the presenters at the annual winter System of Care Community meeting Jan. 7-10 in Portland, OR. Sharon Hodges, Mario Hernandez and Angela Gomez gave a presentation entitled "Developing Your Local Theory of Change and Testing Its Application Using the System of Care Practices Review," that looked at organizing local system of care strategies and testing whether direct service workers are working with children and their families according to system of care principles.
Hewitt B. "Rusty" Clark co-presented at two sessions, "Secondary and Postsecondary Education: Innovative Strategies for Improved Transition Outcomes," and "Transition Practices for Facilitating Young People With Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties Into Improved Personal and Community Life Functioning." The topics dealt with supporting young adults with emotional/behavioral disorders in their transition to independence and adulthood.
This year’s meeting focused on a major community partner in the systems of care approach to children with serious emotional disturbance—the education system. Professionals, educators, agencies and families from each system of care grant community in the country, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico, learned of ways to better build systems of care that address the educational and mental health needs of all children who need such support.
The meeting was sponsored by the Federal Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Child Adolescent and Family Branch of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Branch promotes and ensures that the mental health needs of children and their families are met within the context of community-based systems of care, which are developed on the principle that the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families can be met within their home, school, and community environments. It funds CMHS sites in communities throughout the nation to meet these goals, including sites in West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida.
Hillsborough County's system of care community plan, Hillsborough Integrated Network For Kids (THINK), is now in it’s fourth year of a five-year, seven million dollar grant, administered through the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.
CFS staff have worked closely with the Children's Board to help THINK reach the CMHS goal of providing families with services that are both affordable and available when and where they are needed. Under the direction of CFS evaluation director Norin Dollard, CFS staff provide evaluation and technical assistance for developing programs that include families as partners in designing services that focus on the child and family strengths.
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is a department of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida. The faculty and staff of CFS are committed to enhancing the development, mental health and well-being of children and families through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.