What We're Doing

Progress to date (as of 06/2009):

BRC Recommendation 4.4

Make every effort to move children from distant and residential settings to community-and home-based settings.

  • Implementing Evidence-Based Practices:

    • Expanded Functional Family Therapy Teams

    • Expanded Family-Based Mental Health Services (FBMHS)

    • Beck Initiative Trained Youth High School Provider. 

  • Cross-Systems Clinical Work Group: DBH and DHS hold joint weekly meetings, attended by Donald Schwarz, M.D., Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity and other high-ranking executives from JJS, CBH, DBH and MRS. The group discusses and reviews the appropriateness of specific youth currently in care in residential treatment facilities and also barriers to treatment, procedural modifications, quality concerns and the need for new placement options.

  • Residential Reduction Initiative: A workgroup comprising cross-systems partners, family and youth came together and developed a plan to increase developmentally appropriate community treatment and supports and small group living arrangements for children and adolescents.

BRC Recommendation 3.2

Identify and intervene early with children who are vulnerable to behavioral health problems.

  • Summer Camp Training: The Compact has developed a training program for summer camp in conjunction with the Recreation Department and families. The training is offered in the spring and early summer for Recreation Department’s summer camp staff and other local camps involved in the Madeline Moore Summer Camp grants. The training addresses how to approach typical children’s behaviors as well as what to do when there are signs of more significant behavioral health issues. 
  • Office of Supportive Housing Workgroup: Dr. Donald Schwarz, Deputy Mayor of Health and Opportunity and Health Commissioner, has convened a Children’s Workgroup to address the needs of homeless children and their families. The Workgroup meets quarterly and has five subcommittees supporting its effort. Each subcommittee meets more regularly and has a specific focus including behavioral health, early intervention, education, child welfare and data collection.
  • 0-5 Behavioral Health Consultation: An outgrowth of the Action Group 3.2.1, this group has developed a proposed model for behavioral health consultation in day care settings and funding opportunities are being explored.

BRC Recommendation 4.2

Develop better access points to services and supports for children and their families.

  • Child Outpatient Clinic Providers: Directors of the children’s outpatient mental health clinics are invited quarterly  to explore questions of access and to jointly collaborate on improving care within the clinics. A smaller group of these providers along with family members and DBH staff are developing specific recommendations to improve and support children’s outpatient clinics. 

BRC Recommendation 6.1

Improve coordination and integration across individual, service provider and system levels.

  • Cross System Training: An interactive cross-systems training is being developed by the Department of Behavioral Health, the Department of Human Services, Family Court and the School District to educate line workers and supervisors on what services are available and how to access them.
  • School District Re-Engagement Center (REC): The Center assists students who have disconnected from high school (truancy, drop-out) and are interested in returning to school. DBH provider staff conduct assessments and ensure appropriate behavioral health supports are in place.  

BRC Guiding Principle

Families and children of all ages should participate in all aspects of service planning and delivery to the fullest extent possible.
 

Recommendation 1.3: Create community strategies to build public awareness and knowledge of factors that promote social and emotional health and safety.

  • Carver Science Fair Behavioral Health Awards: The Philadelphia Compact sponsors the Annual George Washington Carver Science Fair, which is open to all of the City's middle and high school students.   Staff representing the DBH Children's Unit and the Philadelphia Compact serve as judges for the behavioral health science projects during the science fair and participated in the awards ceremony. The Philadelphia Compact Excellence in Behavioral Health Awards were awarded to five students in 2008 and five in 2009. Congratulations to all of the winners!

  • Philadelphia Compact Outreach: The Philadelphia Compact conducts outreach and participates in community events to emphasize the importance of behavioral health, share available resources, and provide information on the Philadelphia Compact. Such activities include the NAMI Walk, Legs Against Arms 5k Walk, and local social service conferences.
  • Philadelphia Compact Youth Committee Presentations: The Philadelphia Compact Youth Committee is active in busting stigma and educating their peers about the importance of social and emotional wellness. Committee members present at high schools, community centers, the Youth Study Center, local, state and national conferences, and other locations where their message is needed.

Recommendation 2.1: Create opportunities in child-serving systems for children and families to have voice in decision making regarding planning, service delivery and treatment.

  • Philadelphia Compact Family Member Committee (PCFMC).   The PCFMC meets monthly and is committed to assuring family member voice and partnership in the planning and implementation of Compact-related activities and initiatives. Meetings are usually held the last Thursday of each month in center city.
  • Philadelphia Compact Youth Committee: The Philadelphia Compact Youth Committee is a trained group of young people committed to the promotion of resilience, decreasing stigma and educating their peers about the importance of social and emotional wellness. Members participate in DBH/MRS and cross-system committees and state groups to add their voices to policy decisions. The group also provides peer education throughout the community. View more information on the Youth Committee »
  • Family Member Storytelling Training: The Philadelphia Compact sponsors the ongoing DBH/MRS Family Member Storytelling Training. In the training, family members learn to tell their story as a catalyst for change within behavioral health and child serving systems. Participants are able to go on to be panelists and presenters. 

Guiding Principle: Children and families possess strengths, interests and a capacity for growth and change that can be augmented by support from the community, including their peers; and Recommendation 1.1: Advance a framework of resilience based on the strengths of children and their families throughout the community.

  • Resilience Initiative: The Compact held a kick-off conference on Resilience in September 2008. An ongoing training is in development as well as DBH/MRS literature on resilience and its relevance to the transformation of children’s behavioral health in Philadelphia.

Other Achievements Advancing the BRC Recommendations

  • Respite Work Group- This workgroup has been charged with developing policies regarding the disbursement of FY ’08 and FY ’09 respite funds that are made available from OMHSAS. Family members and DBH/MRS staff continue to work on development of an accessible respite program for the City of Philadelphia. 
  • Person-First Taskforce: A Person-First approach ensures that a person’s race, ethnicity, language capability, religion, spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social role, age, physical ability, cognitive ability, and/or economic status is acknowledged and incorporated in the delivery of recovery/resilience-oriented services. The group is made up of many community members representing diverse communities and DBH/MRS staff and is tasked with incorporating a Person-First approach into the transformation efforts at DBH/MRS.