Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, Evaluation Findings: Annual Report to Congress 2010

SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI). P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20847-2345. Tel: 800-729- 6686; Tel: 301-468-2600; Web site: http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

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Child Health; Financial Support; Individual Characteristics; Outcomes of Treatment; Behavior Problems; Anxiety; Depression (Psychology); Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Suicide; Psychological Patterns; Health Services; Program Effectiveness; Mental Health; Cooperation; Emotional Disturbances; Caregivers; Juvenile Justice; Data Analysis; Fidelity; Community Programs; Family Programs; Program Evaluation; Residential Programs; Access to Health Care; Program Implementation; Family Involvement

This report to Congress provides critical information about the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program (CMHI), including the characteristics of children, youth, and families as they enter the CMHI; the outcomes attained for children and youth, and their caregivers and families after entry into the CMHI; their CMHI service use and service experience; how well communities have implemented system of care principles, particularly interagency collaboration; the sustainability of systems of care; and caregiver and youth satisfaction with services. Data from the national evaluation demonstrate that funded systems of care: (1) Reach and provide services to many children and youth typically underserved by the mental health system; (2) Improve outcomes for children and youth; (3) Enhance family outcomes; (4) Expand the availability of effective supports and services; (5) Implement and maintain fidelity to the principles of family-driven, youth-guided, individualized services; (6) Save money by reducing the amount spent on residential treatment and juvenile justice services; and (7) Incorporate processes and resources that have a positive impact on sustainability. The national evaluation and this report to Congress have addressed the authorizing legislation's mandate to assess the effectiveness of the systems of care with regard to outcomes for children, youth, and families served by the CMHI. The report examined the use of hospitalization and other institutional settings, described the role and importance of interagency collaboration, and summarized parental assessments of the effectiveness of systems of care. Further, this report provided a description of how communities are carrying out the goal of the cooperative agreements by providing the types of services outlined in the legislation using an individualized, culturally and linguistically competent, and collaborative approach. Appended are: (1) Glossary of Terms; (2) SAMHSA's 8 Strategic Initiatives; (3) System of Care Communities of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, 1993-2009; (4) Performance Measurement; (5) Description of Study Components; (6) Measures; (7) Data Analysis Techniques Used in This Report; and (8) Descriptive and Outcome Data Tables. (Contains 14 figures, 14 tables, and 27 endnotes.)

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ED540209