Impact of the Child and Adolescent Service System Program in California

Abstract

Results of an evaluation of the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) in California are reported in this article. Interviews were conducted with human services agency staff ( n = 60) and parents of children with serious emotional disturbance (SED; n = 67) regarding changes over the previous 4 years in their local children's service systems. Despite administrative obstacles and significant funding limitations, results indicate that CASSP had a modest, positive impact in the state of California. Specifically, CASSP increased interagency collaboration in human services planning and delivery and positively affected family participation in all aspects of services. CASSP inspired county mental health administrators to be leaders in the effort to establish culturally competent systems of care for children with SED. County agency administrators reported more significant positive changes than did parents of children with SED. Both groups of subjects indicated that many children with SED are not identified by service systems, and the needs of children with SED in the state of California are not adequately addressed.

The challenge and opportunity of parental involvement in juvenile justice services

“…Challenges to family involvement in the mental health system (as well as other service sectors) include lack of funds for transportation and child care, family burden associated with caring for an emotionally disturbed youth, confusing communication with the system, and difficulties accessing appropriate care (e.g. Clausen, Dresser, Rosenblatt & Attkisson, 1998). Overall, however, the scope and depth of empirical research on parental involvement in mental health is limited (McKay and Bannon, 2004), and very few good, empirically validated measures of parental involvement in children’s mental health services are readily available.…”

Assessing Strengths in Residential Treatment: Looking at the Whole Child

“…The objective of CASSP is to appropriate funds to research and training of state mental health service systems to create more child-centered systems of service delivery (Koyanagi, 1994). These systems can fall anywhere on a population continuum from outpatient to residential treatment, as long as the service maintains a child and family-driven orientation (Clausen, Dresser, Rosenblatt, & Attkisson, 1998). There is currently no established CASSP curriculum, but the use of evidence-based practices becomes more salient as these practices emerge (Gustis, 2007).…”