BEULAVILLE — Eastpointe was awarded a $600,000 federal grant by the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use to expand at-risk children’s access to behavioral health services in Robeson and Scotland counties.
Eastpointe, and its partners at EasterSeals UCP, will use the grant to provide more children served by the Department of Social Services or Department of Juvenile Justice with access to a dedicated care manager and care team.
Data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention confirms that more than 50% of children in the justice system have a diagnosed behavioral health issue. Beyond the personal trauma these issues create, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the economic and social costs of adverse childhood experiences reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
“Children in the DSS and DJJ systems have more complex behavioral care needs that, too often, are unmet,” noted Barbara Hallisey, Eastpointe’s chief of Clinical Programs. “This program will fill this void by providing timely, personalized, and evidence-based treatment. It will not only give these kids and their families the support they need to stay healthy, but it will also strengthen our communities, and reduce the strain on our healthcare system. We look forward to working with our partners at the county DSSs, the DJJ, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, and EasterSeals UCP to deliver these services.”
This program addresses this trauma epidemic, according to Eastpointe.
More eligible children and families served by DSS and DJJ will be offered an evidence-based care management program called High Fidelity Wraparound. Key to this program is a care manager who leads a team of family and youth peers.
This team will help plan the child’s care, help the family navigate the healthcare system, and provide emotional support to help ensure the child completes his or her course of care. The team will also ensure providers work together to deliver behavioral, physical, and pharmacy care services when they are needed. Children and families will be able to work with their teams for 18 months.
Using this team-based approach, Eastpointe and EasterSeals’ goal is to dramatically reduce the time between the screening and assessment of behavioral health issues and the time between the assessment and the start of care.
By more effectively diagnosing and treating behavioral health challenges, Eastpointe is also aiming to increase childrens’ school attendance, decrease their involvement in the legal system, reduce their use of crisis services, and reduce the number receiving institutional care.