Connected families expansion - the goal of this project is to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth, birth through age 21, at risk for or with serious emotional disturbances, and…

Connected families expansion - the goal of this project is to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth, birth through age 21, at risk for or with serious emotional disturbances, and their families, by creating sustainable infrastructure with incorporation of the system of care approach within the connected families NH service area. Specific infrastructure development objectives to fill service gaps include (1) the creation of a "brief enhanced care coordination" (brecc) service to supplement other more intensive care coordination programs offered by cfnh; and (2) expanding access to high-quality, "stand alone" intensive in-home supports (iihs). This work will be supported and continued by objective 3, assessment and sustainability planning, which encompasses administrative, outreach, capacity, and evaluation activities. Both brecc and stand-alone iihs can be provided more quickly and cost effectively than traditional wraparound, enhancing the service array for families who do not want or have the capacity for a long-term, intensive service. All objectives increase youth and family voice and choice, while facilitating the provision of the fewest, least intensive services necessary to meet the youth/family need and improve outcomes. The population of focus is children and youth, from birth through age 21, at risk for or with serious emotional disturbance SED, and their families. The entire project will directly serve an estimated 82 children/youth per year and 326 over four years with brief enhanced care coordination and intensive in-home supports. IT will benefit all of the 185,911 people who live in the rural catchment area of west-central and southwestern part of new hampshire, where 4.2% are people of color, about 10% live in poverty, and 41.5% are vehicle-poor in an area with practically no public transportation. The focus of connected families expansion project is to broaden its programmatic scope. IT will align with the state and other similar initiatives to achieve broader systems change needed to expand and sustain the SOC approach. All services provided through or in collaboration with connected families expansion project will be evidence-based, culturally competent, and family-driven.