Transforming Children's Mental Health Policy into Practice: Lessons from Virginia and Other States' Experiences Creating and Sustaining Comprehensive Systems of Care

by Robert Cohen, Allison B. Ventura, William A. Hazel (Foreword by)

Overview

This book provides a comprehensive perspective on the development, implementation, and impact of child mental health reform on children with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families, local communities, and state-level policies. This book focuses on the practical a...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498541121
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	12/20/2016
Pages:	380
Product dimensions:	6.24(w) x 9.34(h) x 1.13(d)

About the Author

Robert Cohen is senior advisor to the Center for Child Well-Being in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University.

Allison Ventura is assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida, College of Medicine in Jacksonville.

Table of Contents

Preface Part I: Setting The Stage Chapter 1: The Status of Care for At Risk Youth and Families in the 1980s Chapter 2: The System of Care Paradigm Emerges Chapter 3: Why Virginia? Chapter 4: Inside the Act: What the Legislation Promised and Required Part II: 1993-2001 Chapter 5: The Curtain Rises: The Early Years Chapter 6: A New Way: Building a Program Around the Child Chapter 7: Putting All the Pieces Together: A Locality Creates a Comprehensive System of Care Chapter 8: Entering an Era of Accountability Part III: 2002-2013 Chapter 9: Moving into the New Millennium: Coming of Age or Arrested Development? 198 Chapter 10: CSA Reaches Adolescence: Small Signs of Hope Chapter 11: A Surprising Turn of Events Part IV: The Reviews Arrive: Making Sense Of CSA's 20 Year Odyssey Chapter 12: Percentages, Perception, and Profiles Chapter 13: Putting CSA In Perspective Part V: Other Venues and Lessons for Those Who Aspire To Act on the Stage of Reform Chapter 14: Systems of Care in Other States Chapter 15: When States are Ordered to Reform Chapter 16: Local Systems of Care Chapter 17: Walking a High Wire on a Windy Day: Lessons from the Field References Index About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

These authors offer a well documented history of child mental health services over decades in the State of Virginia. It provides a tangled history of the interaction between politics and mental health leadership. Their clearly articulated insights will be of value to historians and to public health policy leaders.

Barbara J. Burns

As one of the co-authors of the original monograph that presented the vision for systems of care, I am delighted to see this comprehensive, thorough, and thoughtful presentation of the work done over a 20-year period in Virginia. As Bob Cohen and Allison Ventura point out, achieving system reform is a complex and challenging task and sustaining reforms beyond their initial stage is not only difficult but often overlooked. This book is very rare in that it looks at a reform over a 20 year period, and presents scholarly information as well as information from a variety of key informants. The information is primarily about the Virginia system of care reform, but also examines efforts in other states as well as local communities. The book should be of value both within the system of care world and the world of system change and reform more broadly, and the authors are to be congratulated for their enormous contribution.

Robert Friedman

Whether you are a child serving professional, advocate, policy maker or family member, this work is a “must read” reference and guide. It honors the family and children’s voices struggling to secure the care that they need and explains how difficult transformation of practice and policy truly is. As a colleague of the authors, and administrator in children’s mental health system of care initiatives, I was impressed with the comprehensive approach to the detailed chronicling of the development of the Children’s Service system in Virginia. Their comparison with other States’ experiences with system of care from a political, developmental, structural and personal perspective illustrates creative approaches and identifies best practice strategies.

In the end, all systems come down to the one child that we all want to see succeed and have a safe and happy life. Drs. Cohen and Ventura expertly paint the canvas on what that life looks like and gives us a glimpse of the next portrait of children’s community mental health.

Alexandria W. Lewis

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