Marion County Mental Health Wrap Around Teams

The Children’s System Change Initiative was implemented across the state of Oregon in October 2005. This broad reorganization of the intensive mental health services for children places responsibility of all levels of care under the Managed Health Organizations. The Managed Health Organization (MHO) in our region, the Mid-Valley Behavioral Care Network (MVBCN) has developed a range of intensive community-based treatment and family support services as an alternative to residential and day treatment placements. In the MVBCN region this support is accessed through New Solutions. In addition to providing access to these community based supports New Solutions also acts as a gateway to higher levels of service, including residential and psychiatric day treatment programs.

Some of the services available include:

o   Crisis respite

o   Routine respite

o   Treatment Foster Care

o   In-home behavioral supports

o   Mentors

o   Short term assessment and stabilization placements

The New Solutions Staff determine eligibility for this level of care based on a current mental health assessment, a standardized instrument called the Child and Adolescent Service Intensity Instrument (CASII), and a review of acuity factors e.g., dangerousness to self and others, family stress level, history of hospitalizations. Once eligible, New Solutions staff referred to as “Wrap Around Facilitators” facilitate the development of a Child and Family Team, which includes the child, their family, professionals working with the family and “natural supports” the family has in the community. The goal is to keep the child in the home if at all possible.

The Child and Family Team develop a Care Plan that builds on family strengths and provides supports to meet individual family needs. The team also does a functional assessment of behavior and develops crisis plans to assist families in responding to challenging behaviors. Wrap Around Facilitators follow the progress of the children in care and provide discharge planning to ensure that step down services are available in the community.