| The Children’s Bureau in the
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has
been working with the University of Pittsburgh and its community
partners to develop, implement, and manage the Pennsylvania Youth
and Family Training Institute. This Institute is the next phase
in the evolution of the children’s behavioral health movement
in Pennsylvania. It builds on the work of the former CASSP Institute,
and will be the centerpiece of the OMHSAS effort to transform the
Pennsylvania's Children's Behavioral Health System. The Institute
will provide training, technical assistance and monitoring to engage
and empower youth and their families in the treatment and recovery
process.
The Institute has been assembling an Advisory Board composed of
equal representation of youth, families, and professionals. Shannon
Fagan, former Westmoreland County CASSP Coordinator, became the
Executive Director on March 3, 2008. The Institute, in conjunction
with the Children’s Bureau, has been working with counties
and behavioral health managed care organizations to identify several
counties to serve as “early implementers” of youth and
family teams, utilizing the High Fidelity Wraparound practice model.
In addition to working with the early implementer counties, the
Institute will continue to provide an orientation and training on
the High Fidelity Wraparound model to all interested parties. Public
information efforts will be held over the next few months as the
Institute becomes established and begins to marshal the energy and
dedication of so many people who are committed to transforming the
children’s behavioral health system in Pennsylvania.
Resources
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