Focus Area 2

Enhancing the Children and Youth System of Care

Strategies

Strengthen System Capacity

• Build capacity across System of Care partners so that we have a robust continuum of care for children and youth, particularly those who are system-impacted.

Coordinate Services

• Create a structure that promotes good communication and coordination of education, employment, health, as well as traditional and non-traditional behavioral health services across County departments assisting children and families once they become known to the child welfare system, especially for youth with complex needs.

Drive Continuous Improvement

• Provide overside of the child welfare system to ensure continuous system improvement.
• Conduct independent reviews of child fatalities/near fatalities with systems improvement lens.

Improve Information Sharing

• Ensure legally permissible information that is relevant to child safety and wellbeing (education, health records, etc.) is shared electronically by those who need it to inform and tailer services for each youth impacted by the child welfare system.

Build Lasting Support Systems

• Champion collaboration across County and community partners to ensure that no youth who transitions out of care leaves the system without a permanent family or a responsible caring adult in their lives, or in the supports they need to thrive.

Measure Impact

• Track outcomes for system-involved youth to determine the efficacy of County intervention and programming. Utilize data to continually assess how the County can strengthen supports for youth impacted by systems.