Resilience for youth and families

The systems of care model, and how it works

Systems of care is a healthcare service delivery approach that builds partnerships to create a broad, integrated process to meet families’ multiple needs, including those of mental health. The framework is most effective when partners agree on common goals, develop a shared infrastructure to coordinate efforts, and work to deliver a high-quality array of evidence-based practices.¹

“Systems of care is a coordinating body that provides connections, case management, soft services; and tracks data to ensure that kids don’t fall through the cracks,” explains Deborah Atkins, Vice President, Growth, Carelon Behavioral Health. “It is a type of wraparound service model that works with families to keep a child in their home. It provides supports such as behavioral modification help for parents, access to mobile crisis services for behavioral intervention, help with tutoring, and child care.”
 

Carelon Behavioral Health: youth and families systems of care

Youth and families systems of care is part of Carelon Behavioral Health’s new Children, Young Adult, and Family Services’ product offerings. “In many states, there is a glaring gap as it relates to services and supports,” says Dr. Linda Henderson-Smith, Senior Product Director, Carelon Behavioral Health. “Children and families need to be in the center and driving the support ecosystem. Systems of care, if done correctly, creates a safety net where there are no holes for children and families to fall through.”

The program, with a target population of young people from birth through 25 years of age, provides an updated solution. The program offers four different entry points for users:

• Behavioral health digital front door – a set of tools for members to self-manage and support their pre- and post-treatment and tracking
• Navigation assistance – a helpline providing support to caregivers
• Crisis line – a virtual contact center for crisis situations
• Predictive analytics – identifying members at risk of a suicidal event in the next 12 months so they can be targeted for outreach
   

How the program creates a solution

Dr. Henderson-Smith expands on the program’s offerings: “We developed ongoing care support that youth and families can use during the long wait to see a provider. Kids can use the text and chat in the telebehavioral health access extenders to communicate with a specialist, since kids don’t like speaking to adults. Parents and caregivers who don’t know what to do or who to call can use the digital front door to access educational resources and navigation assistance. Crisis specialists, who are overseen by clinicians, are available to help deescalate situations. Families can also access peer support from a network comprising youth and family peer specialists. The overall intent is to provide care and support while the child and their family are waiting, which can be months in some markets.”

Youth and families systems of care’s goal

The primary goal of systems of care is to provide state-of-the-art, effective clinical services and supports.² Carelon Behavioral Health’s youth and families systems of care’s intent is to also provide speedy access with stop-gap care to prevent crises. Ms. Atkins cites specific examples: “If a 6-year-old child is suspended from school due to their experiencing ADHD behavioral challenges, the child needs access to the right connections for the right type of care, rather than their getting placed into an alternative school system. We follow children to make sure they are getting the most appropriate available services for their needs, who is going where, so as not to send a 5-year-old to a juvenile classroom.”

“We want to prevent suicidal attempts and ideation, provide holistic wraparound care, support parents and caregivers, and treat whole health,” notes Dr. Henderson-Smith. “Overall, we want to make sure that youth and family voices are being heard and that they are reaching their full potential.”