Federal policy for publicly funded children’s mental health services has fostered development of systems of care that engage families, clinicians, and agencies in collaborative partnerships with the goal of reducing stigma, enhancing self-sufficiency, and improving the relevance and efficacy of service delivery. This day-long program explores the implications of consumer empowerment and strength-based treatment approaches for psychiatrists, other clinicians, agency staff, and families themselves.

 

The evidence-base for high-fidelity wraparound care coordination, the interrelationship between system structure and wraparound implementation processes, and the impact on youth and family outcomes and overall system costs is discussed. A panel of youth and parents explore how partnering with consumers enhances the effectiveness of programs and improves youth-serving agencies’ capacity to meet community needs. The presenters talk about power, identity, resiliency, collaboration, and conflict within systems of care. They explore strength-based treatment plans drawn from a variety of youth and family vignettes, and assess needs statements, measurement methods, targeted outcomes, and the pragmatics of clinical care.

During our lunch session, The Mayor of Maui, Charmaine Tavares, talks about how she became aware of the issues facing children and adolescents with mental illnesses and their families. She discusses how advocacy by local child and adolescent psychiatrists resulted in changes to Hawai’i’s children’s public mental health system. Following a series of didactic sessions, attendees participate in a facilitated treatment planning practicum to develop skills in conceptualizing treatment within a system of care context with attention to client strengths, family empowerment, and wraparound strategies.

Whether you are working in the community, a hospital or residential setting, or are in private practice, child and adolescent psychiatrists should be fluent in their capacity to engage with family and youth within the framework of collaborative care. This program shows that familiarity with the precepts of client-centered care and comfort with collaborative team processes are necessary for optimal participation in system of care programming.

The cost of the program is $75.00 for pre-registrants (before September 15, 2009), $100 after and onsite (if available). Medical students and residents can attend for FREE, but need to register. Registration includes a continental breakfast, lunch and CME credit.