1. Westchester Community Network Positive Systems of Care: Stories of Success: Effective Community Responses for Children and Families October 27, 2004 Waterloo, Ontario Westchester Community Network Westchester County, New York Myra Alfreds, MSW Director, Children’s Mental Health Services Project Director

2. Westchester Community Network Westchester County NY North of New York City Population under 1 million Diverse Population (Growing Latino Population) 46 School Districts

3. Westchester Community Network Population Aged 9-17: United States, New York State and Westchester County (1999 Census Estimates) WHITEBLACKLATINO*OTHER %% U.S.A.78.215.814.06.0 N. Y. State72.222.016.75.8 Westchester73.019.814.77.2 *Any Race

4. Westchester Community Network CORE VALUES & PRINCIPLES Individualized Family Centered Strength Based Culturally Competent Team Developed & Supported Needs Driven Flexible Unconditional Community Based Outcome Focused

5. Westchester Community Network Objective Transforming the Child-Serving System to create one System of Care in Westchester County

6. Westchester Community Network Westchester’s Unique SOC…. Community Organization Model Partnership with Parents & Youth Shared cross-system leadership & active participation at all levels Applied “theory of change process” CCSI/State Three Tier Design 15 Year History of System Re-design 15 Years of Leadership & Shared Vision Infusion of SOC values through on-going cross- systems training

7. Westchester Community Network County Partners Mental Health Child Welfare Juvenile Justice Youth Bureau Alcohol/Substance Abuse Developmental Disabilities Health

8. Westchester’s Coordinated Children’s Services OMHOASASOCFSSEDDPCACCF Family Support OMRDD Tier III State Level Tier II-County Level Children’s Core Services Advisory Council SPOE/SPOR Integrated Services Planning Tier I Local Level Transitioning Age Early Childhood Sex. Reactive Juvenile Firesetting Local Planning Councils Port Chester Network Mt. Vernon Network New Rochelle Network Ossining/ Tarrytown Network Central Westchester Network Yonkers Network Peekskill Network Bedford Central Network Lakeland Network Mt. Vernon Family Ties Sound Shore Family Ties Central Westchester Family Ties Yonkers Family Ties Peekskill Family Ties Youth Forum Respite Universal Referral Form Family Matters Waiver Children’s ICM Family Based Treatment Community Residence Residential Treatment Facilities Aging-Out Programs Partnership Project Early Childhood Safety Net Dept H Eastchester Network Mt. Kisco Family Ties Ossining Family Ties Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

9. What is Network? Community Organization Model Community empowerment & leadership Community supporting families in keeping their children safely at home Meeting the changing needs of the community

10. Community Network for Children & Families a Child & Family Community Agencies Social Services Mental Health Health Schools Drug & Alcohol Police/Fire Mental Retardation/ Developmental Disabilities Recreation Juvenile Justice

11. Westchester Community Network Tier II Sub-Committees Sexually Aggressive/Reactive Youth Juveniles with Fire-setting Behavior Co-Occurring Developmental Disabilities & Serious Emotional Disturbances Early Childhood Transition/Aging-Out Planning Committee Alianza Latina

12. Westchester Community Network Single Point of Entry (SPOE): A Cross System Approach to Residential Placement County level decision makers/gatekeepers of residential services Review community based alternatives to placement Support Wraparound Plan & Needs Emphasis on non-traditional approaches When placement is unavoidable, group determines the most appropriate, least restrictive, and briefest treatment that is clinically appropriate

13. Westchester Community Network Single Point of Return (SPOR): A Cross System Approach to Transitional Planning From Out-of-Home Services Cross-system county agencies and school districts Children returning from residential services in and out of state Process begins three months prior to discharge Network meeting in residential facilities connected to community network Child with SED is referred for services through Universal Referral Process Aging-out Youth are connected to Youth Forum

14. Westchester Community Network Family Ties: Grassroots Family Support and Advocacy Parent support organization serving families of children with social, emotional, behavioral difficulties Founded on the premise that families are best served in their own communities and access to family support should not be tied to any one agency or program Provides the “parent to parent” orientation Establishment of family resource centers Part of a greater state and national network of family support and advocacy

15. Westchester Community Network Family Ties Staff and members act as agents of change in what has been recognized as a broad based Social Justice Movement to ensure that all children, no matter what difficulties they face, can reach their full potential.

16. Westchester Community Network Family Ties of Westchester (Family Support) Resource Centers Parent Support Groups Fathers’ Support Groups Grandparents’ Groups Sibling Groups Respite/Retreats Individual Advocacy Training Community Networks Local Policy Development NY State/National Policy Development System of Care Committees Leadership Councils

17. Westchester Community Network Youth Forum Peer run support and leadership for older adolescents and young adults Youth are “veterans” of the system and experts on special education, residential placement, and mental health services Provides socialization, recreation, peer support, spokesperson training, and advocacy Young people present on “what helps and what harms” to parents, legislators, and professionals Integral part of local, county, and state planning groups, advisory councils and Networks Co-facilitate Transition/Aging-Out Networks

18. Westchester Community Network Network Development & Wraparound Training Team System of Care Orientation Facilitator Training (English & Spanish) Spokesperson Training Leadership Training Respite Curriculum/Training Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports Sexually Aggressive/Reactive Youth Juvenile Fire-Setting Risk Assessment Cross-System MR/DD- SED Training

19. Westchester Community Network Identification of Systems Issues Family Ties Case Management Network Youth Forum Children’s Core Advisory Council (Governance Body) On-going Sub-committee Planning group Hard Services/ Programs Training Information To Action: Westchester Model For Change Examples: Residential MR-DD/SED Juvenile Sex. Offenders Early Childhood Clinic Waiting List Juvenile Fire-setters Form a Sub-Committee (Data Collection) Evaluation

20. Westchester Community Network New & Emerging Issues Growing Latino Population Younger Children Clinic Waiting Lists Use of Research/Evidence-Based Practices in SOC (e.g., MST, FFT, Common Sense Parenting) Budget Challenges

21. Westchester Community Network Suspended/Expelled Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group: Columbia University – MSPH/NYSPI

22. Westchester Community Network Residential Placement and Psychiatric Hospitalization Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group: Columbia University – MSPH/NYSPI

23. Westchester Community Network For additional information Myra Alfreds Tel. (914) 995-5250 Email: mvv4@westchestergov.commvv4@westchestergov.com System of Care Website: www.westchestercommunitynetwork.com