1. Making the Case to Serve Children Under 21 Transitioning from PRTFs or Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals with a System of Care Approach through MFP

2. Sherry Peters
Georgetown National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health
Eileen Elias
JBS International Senior Policy Advisor and Director, Disability Service Center

3. Issues to Consider
Numbers of children currently being served over 90 days in PRTFs or Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals
Average length of stay
Average cost per child per stay
Annual cost for PRTFs and Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals
Recidivism rate

4. More Issues to Consider
Adequacy of intensive community based services and supports
Fee-for-service or managed care environment
Existing partnerships with and between child-serving systems, especially mental health
Ability to direct the use of the enhanced Federal match to continue to build capacity (such as training and coaching for High Fidelity Wraparound)

5. Outcomes from National Evaluation of System of Care Approach
Children, youth, and families served in systems of care show improvements in how they feel, how they behave, and how well they do in their homes, schools, and communities.
Systems of care have led to improved policies, improved organization and financing of services, better investment of resources, and more effective services and supports.

6. Important Service Array
Intensive home-based services
Respite care
Family and youth peer support
Intensive care management (no more than 10 on caseload)
Therapeutic foster care
Therapeutic behavioral support
Skills training
Mobile crisis response and stabilization services
Therapeutic Mentoring
Specific evidence-based practices

7. Additional Questions/Information
Contact information:
Eileen Elias,
Sherry Peters,
For reference materials and additional information: MFP Technical Assistance Website