About Us
History
Since 1998, The Children's Partnership unites and coordinates resouces to maintain a System of Care in Travis County - a system that works hand-in-hand with families, focusing on the strengths of each child and embracing the values and culture of each family. Parents and families are acknowledged as experts in their child's life. Staff members, families and providers create a Wraparound Plan for each individual child and youth, addressing his or her unique circumstances.
Mission
The Children's Partnership unites resources so children with complex needs can live successfully with their families in the community.
The Children's Partnership
- Create a multi-agency team process that identifies children's mental health care needs and coordinates funding.
- Use a family driven, youth guided, culturally competent, community based approach to care for assisting children and youth with mental health care needs and their families
- Use individualized planning and non-traditional, community based services for children involved in The Children's Partnership
- Provide assessment tools to determine a child's service needs based on empirical data
- Decrease duplication of services between child and youth serving systems
- Provide a pre- and post- placement system of care based on a nationally recognized model of service delivery (the Wraparound process) to children and youth with complex needs
- Provide families access to a provider network comprised of county-wide agencies, individuals and organizations that offer traditional and non-traditional services
- Provide evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of services provided and funded with public revenue
- Use one management structure and efficient care coordination strategies to integrate revenue and enable public funds to go further (federal, state and local).
Mental Health Facts
What We Know..
- Mental health concerns in children are not uncommon. 30% of infants and young children in Texas are at moderate or high risk for developmental or behavioral problems, which is higher than the national average of 26%, according to Zero to Three State Baby Facts: Texas 2015 Results.
- According to Texas Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System 2015 results nearly 1 in 4 students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for a two week period.
- Texas Juvenile Justice Department (2016-2017 Legislative Appropriations Request) sited that 1in 3 youth committed to the care of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department had a serious mental health condition.
What We Also Know..
People Can Help!!
- Mental Health First Aid training is available in communities across Texas to help community members know how to recognize when someone may be in crisis and know what they can do to assis them.
- Community mental health centers help link people to treatment and supports.
- Certified Family Partners are trained professionals with lived experience raising their own children with mental health challenges who help to guide and support families in accessing services and supports.
Treatment Works!!
- SAMHSA reports in a 2014 report to Congress that providing children with serious emotional disturbances comprehensive community mental health services reduced costs of inpatient hospitilization by more than 50% and reduced costs of juvenile arrests by 45%
- SAMHSA also reports that when children with serious emotional disturbance receive comprehensive community mental health services, they show steady improvement in their behavioral and emotional symptoms, including decreased levels of anxiety, depression, aggression, and suicidal thoughts and attempts. Parents of children receiving treatment also report lower levels of parental stress.