Native American Systems of Care
Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa (IHCRC) has partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to be a Community Project Site for Oklahoma Systems of Care for the next six years. This collaboration is a follow-up to the Circles of Care community planning grant IHCRC received in 2005. With the Systems of Care project IHCRC will serve Native American youth (ages 0-21) in the greater Tulsa area. To be eligible for participation in this program, the identified youth must have a diagnosable behavioral or emotional disorder (i.e., ADHD, anxiety, depression, alcohol and/or drug use, etc.) with impairment experienced in the home, school, and/or community environments.
Systems of Care involves mental health service providers and other organizations and individuals working together as partners to provide care for children with serious emotional disturbance. With input from the child and the family, the partners plan and put into place a tailored set of services to meet the childā€™s physical, emotional, social, educational and family needs. The goal of the Systems of Care Team is to help these children get all the services they need in or near their own communities. The team finds and builds upon the strengths of the child and family, rather than focusing solely on their problems.
As IHCRC works towards developing and refining the Systems of Care for the Native American population in the greater Tulsa area, we will also be working with other programs/departments within IHCRC towards several goals, including:
- Increasing the number and diversity of culturally relevant activities available to Native American youth and their families;
- Developing prevention/intervention programs for Native American youth having difficulties with substance use and abuse;
- Increasing visibility and access to IHCRC for the Native American population in the greater Tulsa area that are not currently accessing or aware of services available; and
- Developing and implementing social marketing techniques to increase awareness for the need for behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services for Native American children, youth and their families.
What is a System of Care?
A system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is organized to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Families and youth work in partnership with public and private organizations so services and supports are effective, build on the strengths of individuals, and address each personā€™s cultural and linguistic needs. A system of care helps children, youth, and families function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life.
Why are Systems of Care needed?
Five to nine percent of children and youth between ages 9 and 17 have serious emotional disturbances that cause substantial functional impairment, and many do not receive the supports and services they need to reach their full potential at home, at school, and in their communities. Children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families need supports and services from many different child- and family-serving agencies and organizations. Often, these agencies and organizations are serving the same children, youth, and families. By creating partnerships among these groups, systems of care are able to coordinate services and supports that meet the ever-changing needs of each child, youth, and family. Coordinated services and supports lead to improved outcomes for children, youth, and families, and help prevent the duplication of services for authorized care among government agencies. Source: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Read more about the transistion from Circles of Care to Systems of Care