Currently in the United States over 500,000 children are in the child welfare system.
Almost one third will be there for three years or more.
Children in the foster care system have a 25% chance of homelessness after the age of eighteen.
Over 270,000 persons in prison in this country were once in foster care.
Children in foster care have twice the rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder than veterans of the first Gulf War.
These statistics are included in the powerful awareness campaign Raise Me Up (www.Raisemeup.org) created by the Casey Family Programs in 2008 and have shocked many people who are unaware of the issues surrounding children in the child welfare system. While many of us are aware of the prevalence of abuse and neglect in this country, there is a belief that once these children are removed from their home, society has provided a safe haven where they can grow and flourish as a normal child until they can either be returned to their biological families or be adopted. This unfortunately is not the case for many children. One of the most common factors among children who are unable to go to a permanent home (what the child welfare world calls permanency) is unstable behavioral health symptoms.
Despite the efforts of many states to address this issue by funding multiple services and treatment options the problem persists, leaving state systems, providers, advocates and stakeholders frustrated and confused. Child welfare administrators and regulatory entities can’t understand why children aren’t improving with all of this care (therapy, medication, residential treatment). Providers often point to the actions of caseworkers, state policy makers, licensing or regulatory entities, schools or foster parents for limiting the effectiveness of treatment. Advocates and the judiciary feel caught in trying to advocate for children and trying to resolve problems that are evident in their communities. So what is the real problem here and how in the world would managed care do more than add another layer to the existing problems?
In the standard world of behavioral health managed care services to be successful, we would ensure that members have access to high quality treatment services, that treatment is necessary and appropriate, and information is gathered, analyzed and shared to promote positive outcomes for members and our contracting entities. When children are our members in the traditional managed care environment, we look to their parents or guardians to make informed decisions about care alternatives that are the best interest of the child.
In the child welfare world, we do all of the above but the guardians (legal and/or influential) of these children are state policy makers, caseworkers, foster parents, judges and others who form a system of care that effects every aspect of the child’s life – including their behavioral health treatment. In no other population is this system perspective as important as in foster care. Every action within this environment impacts the other part of the system. Therefore, treatment can not be seen as an isolated intervention to the child when the “family” of caregivers and stakeholders is critical to its success. In Foster Care, the emphasis on coordination, communication and integration is a primary function of our mission. Understanding all parts of the system of care for foster children allows our management efforts to promote a partnership and shared vision for the positive outcomes for our members. We have the unique advantage of seeing the system from a different angle and thereby helping our partners to align their strategies for mutual success.
In our Foster Care program, we have placed a concentrated effort on participating in system review activities with providers, stakeholders and policy makers to share our expertise in children’s behavioral health. We have also provided training and consultation to all parts of the system from the judiciary to caseworkers to individual foster parents to promote best practices and facilitate the sharing of information. This “partnering” effort has created the opportunity for Cenpatico to be part of an exciting initiative to improve the future for some of our most vulnerable members.
Stay tuned for additional program updates from the exciting world of foster care.
- Marsha McMann, MSW , Director Foster Care
Tags: awareness, behavioral, child, child welfare, children, foster care, health, healthcare, hope, illness, mental, raise, raise me up, recovery, resiliency, results, stigma, welfare
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Cenpatico supports this program by underwriting all their handout materials. Kansas Provider Relations Specialist, Jeanie Kimball, presented a check for $2000 to Carrie Ewing of I.C. Hope. We are proud to partner with a program that aligns with our philosophy of supporting Recovery, Resiliency and Results for individuals at risk, or suffering from, behavioral health disorders.
