At the end of this month, we at Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence will be saying farewell to our DavCard partnership- partnership between Davidson County Department of Social Services (DSS) and Cardinal Innovations Managed Care Organization. Over the past four and a half years Benchmarks has worked alongside leadership at both Cardinal Innovations and Davidson County DSS to implement our trauma-informed system alignment project known as PFE.
Through this initiative, Davison County DSS, community partners including mental and behavioral health providers, and other community stakeholders have worked to increase their focus in identifying and addressing the trauma-related needs of families involved in the child welfare system. This shift in focus began through the local implementation of the PFE pathway, which includes early screening of children for trauma by DSS staff, referrals to specialized trauma informed assessments, incorporation of assessment recommendations into family case plans, and initiating identified trauma related treatments and interventions within a timelier manner.
While implementation of this process has not been easy, what cannot be ignored is the impact these efforts have had not only on staff but on children and their families as well. Since being involved in PFE, both staff and leadership at Davidson County DSS have expressed an increase in their knowledge and understanding of the impacts of trauma. They also express knowing how to better advocate for children and their families when it comes to ensuring their trauma-related needs are met. Over the past several years, Davidson County DSS staff have been extremely resilient and committed to ensuring families are able to access the services they need. They have Managed to overcome roadblocks presented over the course of their dedication to this work, such as: changes in leadership, major legislative and policy changes, system overhauls, staff deficits, COVID-19, and even the most recent changes related to Medicaid Transformation. Through all these things Davidson has remained devoted to making PFE successful for their agency and to making sure families are connected to trauma and resiliency informed providers and services.
Though Benchmarks’ PFE will not be operating in Davidson County beginning in October , Davidson County DSS and its partners have expressed their commitment to continue to provide families with early identification and assessment of their trauma related needs. As a part of this, leadership is making sure staff continue to have opportunities to grow in their understanding of trauma and its impacts and have already partnered with a local agency to provide regular trauma- and resiliency informed trainings.
While we will miss our friends in Davidson County, we are forever grateful for the DavCard partnership and for the leadership, resilience, and lessons we have been able to learn in our work together. We at Benchmarks are so proud of the work that has been done over the years to improve the services our Davidson County partners have been able to offer children and their families impacted by trauma and we thank you for being wonderful partners. May they have all the success in continuing the charge!
Please give our DavCard partners a “shake” of your TicTacs they continue along the TiC TaC TrC!
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