Benchmarks is excited to welcome Cabarrus County DSS as the newest member of our Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) project! The SAP project is a process created to ensure timely trauma screening for children over the age of four entering foster care to quickly identify a child’s need for further assessment, with the goal of increasing their likelihood to receive the treatment necessary to reach their full potential. This treatment goes beyond just mental and behavioral health; treatment recommendations are decided with respect to keeping the child’s social, emotional, and environmental needs in mind. This process includes partnership between local DSS offices, Mediciaid health plans, and local mental health providers. Partners Behavioral Health Management (BHM) continues to be invested in this work by ensuring that children and families have access to trauma-informed care, specifically, Trauma-Intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (TiCCAs).
Cabarrus DSS began the SAP project in July 2022. By participating in SAP, the social work staff will be trained in trauma-informed care via National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s “Trauma Training for the Child Welfare Professional.” This entails onboarding facilitators within the DSS, who will then manage annual training of their staff. Staff will also be trained to administer the Project Broadcast Screening Tool as children enter foster care, to determine whether the child has experienced trauma or has symptoms and to determine the need for a TiCCA referral.
This fall’s implementation activities include Partners BHM releasing a Request for Proposals for the selection of mental health providers. A cross system review team including Partners BHM, Benchmarks and Cabarrus DSS leadership will meet to determine which agencies will provide TiCCA services locally. Those providers will be trained to administer the TiCCAs and deliver holistic recommendations for the in home family services and populations. in Cabarrus County. Foster children who receive a positive screening for trauma when they come into care will have access to a TiCCA, which will pave the way for them to obtain a holistic and individualized treatment plan.
Trauma screenings and TiCCA referrals for foster children in Cabarrus County are anticipated to begin in February 2023. Over the next four months, SAP staff will be training administration and the Permanency Planning team. Later in the spring, we will onboard the In-Home Family Services team as well. Throughout the life of the project, Benchmarks’ goal is to establish sustainability so this work will continue successfully once Benchmarks’ ends full implementation support 2024.
Cabarrus County Human Services Director, Karen Calhoun, states “We joined the SAP Project because we, at Cabarrus County Department of Human Services, believe that proactive prevention is the key to addressing and reducing unnecessary trauma in children and their families. Trauma-informed care permeates much of our work and is often an approach we use to reduce the level of trauma brought on by child welfare involvement. We think this is important to our children and families not only to address and treat undiagnosed trauma, but we believe trauma informed care starts with a trauma informed assessment. Through our participation in this project, we believe our staff will be more proactive in advocating for treatment services early with strategic decision-making tools and informed intention that is fully centered in the child’s best interest. We are excited to participate with Benchmarks in the SAP project and are looking forward to the positive outcomes we can achieve together in this effort.”
As we welcome Cabarrus County into the SAP project, we are welcoming new Implementation Coordinator for the project, Olandra Hudson! Olandra started her Benchmarks journey in September 2022 and has already begun to build relationships with the local DSS staff. Cabarrus County DSS and the Benchmarks teams are thrilled to be working together and look forward to the upcoming and long-lasting positive impact of this work!
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