Defining Stark County’s

System of Care

A system of care is a range of effective, community-based services and supports for children and youth – with or at risk for mental health or other challenges – and their families that:

  • Is organized into a coordinated network
  • Builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth
  • Addresses their cultural and linguistic needs, in order to help them to function better at home, in school, in the community as well as throughout life
Adapted from: Stroul, B., Dodge, J., Goldman, S., Rider, F., & Friedman, R. (2015). Toolkit for Expanding the System of Care Approach. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 

Vision

Stark County’s children, youth and families with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families, will experience a coordinated, accessible, youth- and family-driven, culturally and linguistically competent, trauma-informed and evidence-informed continuum of care that supports them in reaching their maximum potential in their homes, schools, community and into their adult life.

Mission

Stark County’s youth and families will experience a welcoming and coordinated network of care that: is available to them when they need it; values and responds to their voice and choice; and guides them to the services and supports needed to succeed in their homes, schools and community.

goals

The following are the goals from the System of Care Funded Proposal, listed in no particular order of importance.

  1. Improve access to services and supports
  2. Design a youth and family care coordination network
  3. Establish an enhanced cross-system data outcome management and reporting system
  4. Strengthen cultural and linguistic competency in the Stark County System of Care using culturally and linguistically appropriate services
  5. Strengthen family and youth involvement in the Stark County System of Care
  6. Strengthen Trauma-Informed Care in the Stark County System of Care
  7. Expand and enhance systemic prevention strategies
  8. Develop appropriate and adequate funding mechanisms to support the Stark County System of Care
  9. Provide training, technical assistance and workforce development to systemic and community partners
  10. Develop a Stark County System of Care public awareness and social marketing campaign

 

Connecting Our System in 4 Years

Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery (StarkMHAR) is pleased to announce the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded StarkMHAR a four-year System of Care (SOC) Expansion and Sustainability Cooperative Agreement valued at a total of $4 million.

The purpose of the grant is to improve behavioral health outcomes for children and youth from birth to age 21 with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. This youth-guided and family-driven program will support the wide scale operation, expansion and integration of the system of care approach by creating a sustainable framework as well as services that continue to meet trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically competent standards of care.

 

Delivering SOC Core Values

“Family-driven” and “youth-guided” mean the strengths and needs of the child and family determine the types and mix of services and supports provided.

“Community-based” means the central source of services (as well as system management) rests within a supportive and adaptive framework of structures, processes and relationships, all at the community level.

“Culturally and linguistically competent” means agencies, programs and services reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic and linguistic differences of the populations they serve in order to help connect people with appropriate services and supports.

Adapted from: Stroul, B., Dodge, J., Goldman, S., Rider, F., & Friedman, R. (2015). Toolkit for Expanding the System of Care Approach. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health.

 

Partnering With Our Community

StarkMHAR is thrilled that this grant opportunity brings a collaboration  with several community partners. Grant partners include:

  • Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities
  • Stark County Educational Service Center
  • Stark County Family Council
  • Stark County Family Court
  • Stark County Job & Family Services

For more information on Stark County’s System of Care, please contact Donna Edwards, Program Administrator, at 330-430-3981 or Donna.Edwards@StarkMHAR.org.