Check out our website for all the meeting times and dates. Just go to Oregon System of Care Advisory Council to stay up-to-date and be a part of what we’re doing!
Seeking Youth Advisory Board Applicants
The Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ) is forming an advisory board of young adults aged 18-25 with lived experience in the juvenile justice system. Youth advisory board members will be compensated for quarterly, online meetings and possible participation in CTRJJ work. Learn more.
2023 SHARE Spending Plan Summary Webinar
Join the upcoming webinar hosted by the OHA Transformation Center in partnership with the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network focusing on the 2023 SHARE spending plans of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs). This session aims to enhance transparency and awareness of how CCOs are reinvesting their profits into community health initiatives. Key topics will include an overview of total and individual CCO spending, investment in social determinants of health, equity partnerships, and community advisory council participation.
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Date & Time: May 21, 2023, 3-4 p.m.
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Audience: Coordinated care organizations, community-based organizations, Oregon Health Plan members, state and local agencies.
Register here. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent.
The SOCAC works with cross sector partners to alleviate barriers for youth and families within the child serving system. SOCAC is pleased to provide the following updates to barrier reports that have been sent to the SOCAC for state-level resolution by local System of Care partners.
Identifying and Overcoming Barriers in Youth Respite Access
On April 8, 2024 the SOCAC released a Respite Report, which provides data on Oregon’s current respite services and recommendations for improving access to this important service to more youth and families. This report was sent to agency leaders, legislative leaders, and the Governor’s office to highlight the need for collaboration to improve access to respite services across the state.
Access to respite care is severely limited for many families and youth in Oregon, with obstacles ranging from geographic limitations to a lack of suitable providers. The System of Care Advisory Council has prioritized removing these barriers as a critical step towards improving respite services. Highlights of our findings include:
- Geographic disparities: Many families in rural areas face significant challenges in accessing respite services due to limited local resources.
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Provider Shortages: There is a critical need for more trained respite care providers who can meet the diverse needs of our youth, especially those with complex behavioral and health needs.
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Awareness and Stigma: Increasing awareness about the benefits of respite care and reducing stigma are essential to making these services more acceptable and accessible to families.
By focusing on these barriers, the Council aims to facilitate agency and payer collaboration to bridge gaps in service provision, making respite care a more inclusive and effective support system for all families.
Providing Flexible Funds to Families as a Child Welfare Prevention Strategy
The central role of financial insecurity and poverty as drivers of Child Welfare system involvement highlights how important it is to address the financial needs of families. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the effects of a broad array of economic supports to reduce risk for child maltreatment and child welfare involvement. This evidence includes providing flexible funds to meet families’ concrete needs, which has shown promising results in preventing child welfare involvement. (See this complete list of references.)
Expanding economic support services to families as a comprehensive child welfare prevention strategy will require a policy framework for shared responsibility and accountability across the public health and human service platform.
For more information, read this policy brief from Chapin Hall.
System of Care Advisory Council provided grant funds to participating local Systems of Care to pilot flexible spending aligned with the policy recommendations above in 2023. We are evaluating the impact of those funds and have encouraged Local Systems of Care to use 2023-2025 grant funds for this purpose as well. Read below for more information on how Oregon’s Department of Human Services is also encouraging financial supports as a child abuse prevention strategy statewide, in the section about “Opt-in for Families.”
New Treatment Beds for Mental Health, Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
OHA and the Child and Family Behavioral Health (CFBH) unit celebrated an exciting new expansion at Madrona Recovery for youth who need psychiatric residential treatment services (PRTS). On Friday, March 15, Madrona hosted an open house for the public and its many partners to see and tour the newly renovated facility which became an 18-bed PRTS facility in January.
Previously Madrona had been licensed in Oregon strictly for youth struggling with substance use. However, with the expanded and upgraded facility, Madrona can serve youth with either substance use challenges, mental health challenges, or both (known as co-occurring disorders). This broader range of services means that Madrona can now help serve Oregon youth with the most complex psychiatric care needs.
SOCAC has just released the first SOC Data Report which provides measures and data sources for outcomes identified in the SOC Strategic Plan. Most of the indicators are available at the county or CCO level - so you are encouraged to look into how your local community compares with the rest of the state. The report also provides analysis from the SOC dashboard. SOCAC is committed to an annual update of this data and hopes this is an important resource for focusing system improvement efforts locally, regionally, and statewide.
Students Enrolled in Oregon’s Public Alternative Education Schools
The OCID analysis of Students Enrolled in Oregon’s Public Alternative Education Schools is an initial, high-level description of students who had been enrolled in public alternative education schools. On average, public alternative education schools have lower graduation rates than traditional schools, which may indicate that students need additional support to attain their educational goals.
However, little statewide information about this group of students is publicly available. This analysis provides a foundation to conduct similar analyses with other groups of children as well as deeper analysis into students in alternative education services.
Click here to read more>>
Oregon’s Department of Human Services Announces “Opt-in for Families” to Test Financial Support as a Child Abuse Prevention Strategy
On March 11, 2024, Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) announced that the Doris Duke Foundation selected Oregon and three other states to be part of a three-year, $33 million initiative to test and build upon Oregon’s new approach to serving children and families. This approach combines anti-poverty programs with coaching to ensure child safety, keep families together and prevent unnecessary child welfare involvement. Oregon began using this approach in 2022 and has eight demonstration sites statewide. The state has seen a steady decline in children in foster care, down from 7,908 children in 2018, to 4,597 in 2023.
Nationally and in Oregon, about 50 percent of all calls to child abuse hotlines are not found to constitute abuse. However, these reports often indicate serious economic needs and other hardships that can result in increased risk to the safety and well-being of children. With the launch of Opt-in for Families, a pilot program will design a referral system to route reports to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline (ORCAH) that are not considered child abuse following a screening process. Opt-in for Families will link these families to voluntary assistance programs from community organizations and ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs, such as food benefits, cash assistance and services for domestic violence survivors.
More information can be found here>>
Articles:
Evolving Child Welfare Legislation in Colorado
Colorado is on the verge of significant changes in its child abuse and mandatory reporting laws. As the state's Mandatory Reporting Task Force revisits the broad definitions currently in place, key considerations include the distinct impacts on families of color, low-income households, and families with disabilities. The task force aims to refine who qualifies as a mandatory reporter and enhance the training provided, ensuring a more equitable and just system. Recommendations are expected by January 1, 2025. Stay informed on how these pivotal changes could affect our community and consider participating in upcoming discussions.
Read more about Colorado's legislative changes.
PODER Health Equity Collective Summit
The Latino Provider Association (LPA) supports Latino providers, patients, and their communities. Members will be able to share information, support referral networks for Latino providers/patients, and participate in shared initiatives.
The vision for the LPA is bold and transformative: In ten years, the LPA aims to have thousands of Latino providers who will transform health care. Latinos will have greater access to health care where they live and work. Traditional healthcare practices will be honored and reimbursable. The provider workforce will have sufficient providers who specialize in bi-lingual, bi-cultural care in all disciplines.
Learn more at Poderoregon.org.
Join the Children's Mental Health Acceptance Celebration
Organizations and professionals dedicated to supporting children's mental health are invited to participate in the upcoming Children's Mental Health Acceptance Celebration, organized by Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN). This event offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with families, share valuable resources, and highlight the services your organization provides.
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Date & Time: Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 10:00AM to 2:00 PM
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Location: Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties, 685 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301
Space is limited, so be sure to register and secure your spot.
System of Care Virtual Summit
The National Center for Training and Technical Assistance on Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) is pleased to announce a no-cost virtual System of Care Summit (SOC Summit) on May 14-16, 2024. Our virtual doors are open to anyone who is invested in the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and families.
Register for the SOC Summit HERE >
Child Mind Institute: Healthy Minds Thriving Kids
The Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Pre-K Project is a video series, based on mental health research, created to make important mental health skills available to preschool children (age 3 to 5).
These videos introduce important ideas through entertaining, relatable stories set in a vivid, imaginary world. Each video features a memorable song that reinforces the key messages.
We invite you to watch the complete series with your children or students. You can also download free companion guides that summarize key ideas and include an activity that can help kids practice the skills they’re learning. For older children, explore more free evidence-based video resources for K-12.
Each video in the series is available in both English and Spanish. Ver episodios en español ▸
ACF Funding Opportunity
The purpose of State-Tribal Partnerships to Implement Best Practices in Indian Child Welfare is to assist and promote coordinated efforts among state courts, child welfare agencies, and tribes to develop and implement best practices to minimize the disproportionate placement of American Indian/Alaska Native children away from their families and communities and other disparate treatment experienced by Indigenous families.
Words Matter Wednesdays
This Upcoming series from the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center will explore equitable terminology that promotes social justice for populations where language has often been used to shame individuals, enforce prejudice, or limit visibility.
Words Matter Wednesdays: Advancing Equity Through Language
Every Wednesday in May
3:00 – 4:00 PM ET
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about any of the information or events mentioned in this newsletter, please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your input and feedback as we work together to improve outcomes for children and families in Oregon.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested in the latest news and updates from Oregon's System of Care.
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