On March 28, 2017, leaders in child welfare, education, mental health, juvenile probation, the judicial system, and the advocacy community came together for “At a Crossroads: Challenges in Effectively Serving California’s Highest Needs Youth.” The summit was hosted by Seneca Family of Agencies, with co-sponsorship from the County Welfare Directors Association, California Department of Social Services, California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, California Alliance of Child and Family Services, California Charter Schools Association, Assembly member Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond), Sacramento County Office of Education, San Francisco Human Services Agency, Breaking Barriers, Alameda County Office of Education, Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission. The summit was made possible with support from the James Irvine Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and the Sierra Health Foundation.
The impetus for the summit originated in Seneca’s desire to have a conversation with key leaders in the field who can have an impact on what appears to be an emerging crisis: service providers are increasingly feeling unable to serve the kids who are struggling the most and who have the most challenging behaviors. As providers are starting to say no to referrals for the highest needs youth, there is a need to come together to build consensus around the reasons for the disincentives to serve this population, and the possible solutions to improve our system of care for high needs youth.
The objective of the summit was to discuss comprehensive service system gaps for the state’s highest needs youth, and to build cross-sector consensus on the need for collaboration and actionable next steps. By bringing together key state, county, and policy leaders, this day-long event built upon a shared sense that we can do better for youth and families and move toward building a more integrated, coordinated continuum of care to keep kids from going out of state or ending up in juvenile hall.
The impetus for the summit originated in Seneca’s desire to have a conversation with key leaders in the field who can have an impact on what appears to be an emerging crisis: service providers are increasingly feeling unable to serve the kids who are struggling the most and who have the most challenging behaviors. As providers are starting to say no to referrals for the highest needs youth, there is a need to come together to build consensus around the reasons for the disincentives to serve this population, and the possible solutions to improve our system of care for high needs youth.
The objective of the summit was to discuss comprehensive service system gaps for the state’s highest needs youth, and to build cross-sector consensus on the need for collaboration and actionable next steps. By bringing together key state, county, and policy leaders, this day-long event built upon a shared sense that we can do better for youth and families and move toward building a more integrated, coordinated continuum of care to keep kids from going out of state or ending up in juvenile hall.
Blog post written by:
Emily Higgs, Policy Analyst, Development, Evaluation and Strategic Initiatives (DESI)
Emily Higgs, Policy Analyst, Development, Evaluation and Strategic Initiatives (DESI)
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