Children’s Behavioral Health Home & Targeted Case Management
Children’s Mental Health Matters
Just as we can help prevent a child from catching a cold, we can also help prevent a child from having mental health problems. We know what it takes to keep a child physically healthy—nutritious food, exercise, immunizations – but the basics for good mental health aren’t always as clear. The first “basic” is to know that children’s mental health matters. Care coordinators help organize a care team for child’s mental health just like we do their physical health, by giving it thought and attention, and, when needed, guidance toward professional clinical support.
Behavioral Health Home for Children and Youth
On this model, families/guardians and youth work with an all-inclusive and collaborative support team that includes an Assistance Plus case manager/care coordinator, a nurse, an external psychiatric consultant, medical consultant, clinical supervisor, and/or a youth or parent peer support.
Support teams work closely with youth and families, in collaboration with their primary care provider to help reach both mental and physical health goals.
Families have ongoing access to the support provided by their care coordinators and can expect to see them at least once a month, or more as needed.
We provide Behavioral Health Home Services for Children in
Kennebec, Somerset, Franklin, Waldo, Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc, and Penobscot Counties.
Behavioral Health Home Support:
- Helps families identify and utilize their strengths to meet the needs of the child/youth
- Develops individual treatment plans with each youth/child and their parents and/or guardians.
- Participates in crisis planning and coordination as necessary.
- Offering alternatives to residential placement or hospitalization.
- Coordinates services with the child’s primary provider, schools, and any other organizations
- Assures continuity of care by assessing gaps in services and coordinating referrals and resources.
- Organizes team meetings to review progress.
Youth Support services
Youth Support Specialists offer connection through the sharing of lived experience perspectives meant to foster supportive and healthy peer relationships as they ensure well-coordinated and integrated care for youth and young adults (ages 14 – 26) struggling with serious emotional disturbances and/or serious mental illness.
Children’s Targeted Case Management
What is Targeted Case Management?
Targeted Case Management (TCM) provides a community Case Manager* to help youth (Age 2 to 20) and their family/guardian identify their strengths and needs, develop a care plan, implement the plan, and establish stable and ongoing connections with helpful resources and/or treatment services for each child.
Assistance Plus Case Managers help monitor and follow up on the effectiveness of each community-based service or support.
*This is different from a school-based case manager.
A Care Coordinator can help:
- Identify the child and family’s strengths, and help determine needs for medical, educational, social, or other services,
- Assist with creating a plan to address and meet those needs,
- Identify appropriate and available resources,
- Identify treatment services and make referrals to each service,
- Set up appointments,
- Coordinate and monitor services,
- Educate families & children on services and systems,
- Provide family members with organizational tasks and skills needed to:
- Complete paperwork,
- Attend meetings to support the youth’s needs, including, when appropriate, IEP meetings,
- Advocate for youth/family needs through each step.
Family Peer Support
Family peer supports, commonly called Family Peer Specialists or Parent Peer Specialists is a parent-to-parent approach to support and empower families. They are parents/caregivers who have years of actual life experience, or “lived experience”, in raising a child(ren)/youth with emotional or behavioral health challenges.
Eligibility
- Active MaineCare insurance coverage or Private pay,
- Birth to age 20,
- Documentation of a mental health and/or Intellectual/Developmental diagnosis;
- determined less than one year ago,
- considered eligible under the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and/or;
- as described in the current version of the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities of Infancy and Early Childhood.
Triple P: Positive Parenting Program
The Assistance Plus Positive Parenting Program offering is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world, backed up by more than 35 years of ongoing research. Triple P gives parents simple and practical strategies to help them build strong, healthy relationships, confidently manage their children’s behavior, and prevent problems from developing. Triple P is used in more than 30 countries and has been shown to work across different cultures, socio-economic groups and in many different kinds of family structures.
Is this your family?
Other parents don’t seem to have it as tough as you. Your child constantly misbehaves. Your family life is full of anger and tears. There’s probably a lot of shouting, and your child may even be aggressive – perhaps hitting you, the furniture, or his or her brothers and sisters. Every day – from breakfast to bedtime – is a battle. If this sounds familiar, then Group Triple P can help. Group Triple P gives you support to help you manage your child’s behavior and prevent the kinds of problems that make your family life stressful.
You want to create the happiest home life you can. You may have a few concerns about your child’s behavior – perhaps there’s disobedience, or you simply want to find out how to set up better routines for mealtimes or bedtimes. Whatever it is, you’re very keen to learn more about positive parenting and how you can apply it to your family. If you’re ready for a more in-depth look at the parenting strategies that really can work, Group Triple P is ideal.
What Happens in a Triple P Group?
Group Triple P is a great opportunity to meet other parents in similar situations – other parents who’ll support you and share stories with you. From the start, you’ll be given tips and suggestions to better suit the needs of your family. You’ll see scenes from the Every Parent’s Survival Guide DVD, which will show you how the ideas work in real life. Your workbook will give you the tools and information you need to start positive parenting right away at home. Your Triple P provider will guide you every step of the way and even provide backup phone support as you put your new skills.
How long does it take, and what is the group size?
There are about 12 parents in a group session. Usually, each session lasts no more than two hours at a time. In all, you’ll attend no more than five group sessions – the first four should give you the tips you need to start positive parenting.
Then, you’ll have three weeks to practice Triple P at home.
Your Triple P provider will call you every week at a set time to find out how you’re doing and offer advice if you’re having any trouble. Those calls will last about 15 minutes.
Finally, you’ll meet up with your group and Triple P provider for one last session. This is a chance to go over any problems you may still have – and to congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come!
Triple P Eligibility Criteria
- Active MaineCare insurance coverage.
- Katie Beckett coverage.
- Private pay.
- Under 21 years of age; if over 18, enrolled in public school.
- Documentation of either a mental health diagnosis, developmental disability or a chronic medical condition from a licensed professional.
- Diagnosis must be considered eligible under the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or a diagnosis described in the current version of the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities of Infancy and Early Childhood.
Next Steps
Parents/Guardians are encouraged to work with their child’s Primary Care Provider to begin clinical supports and/or a referral.
Eligibility Criteria
- Active MaineCare insurance coverage or Private pay,
- Birth to age 20,
- Documentation of a mental health and/or Intellectual/Developmental diagnosis;
- determined less than one year ago,
- considered eligible under the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and/or
- as described in the current version of the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities of Infancy and Early Childhood