Since 2021 Benchmarks has been consulting with Vaya Health on a project called Pathways to Permanency. This project aims to coordinate efforts between Vaya, County DSS offices, and mental health providers to ensure youth in foster care have access to high quality behavioral health services. To better understand the needs of children, families, and professionals within Vaya’s catchment, landscape analyses and several focus groups were conducted. Main themes from initial discoveries were then identified and workgroups were developed to generate solutions focusing on each of the themes.
To ensure generated solutions were well-rounded and considered the perspectives of each system involved, County DSS representatives, mental health providers, Vaya, and Benchmarks’ consultants were invited to participate in each workgroup. In addition, a lived experience stakeholder group was developed to provide feedback and counsel on workgroup solutions. One of the themes that arose was around the need for more appropriate, supportive, and suitable placements.
Focus groups noted concerns with placement stability and factors contributing to the lack of permanence for child-welfare involved youth in the catchment. Maladaptive coping skills were identified as a leading factor in placement disruptions and unplanned discharges, as well as a need for added daytime support options for children unable to attend school due to suspension or other reasons. Noting specifically that when youth are absent from school, resource parents must take time from work which can impact their job security and placement longevity. As a result, this can lead to multiple disruptions, increased levels of care, added opportunities for re-traumatization, and an overall decline in child well-being outcomes.
To this end, the “Suitable Placements” workgroup began developing solutions towards alternative daytime support options for youth who have been suspended from school. One of those solutions focuses on utilizing (b)(3) respite services to supplement caregivers with additional support. Respite services can provide periodic support and relief to the primary caregivers from the responsibility and stress of caring for children ages three to twenty-one with mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, or substance use disorder service needs. It enables caregivers to ensure appropriate care for the youth in their care in planned or emergency events (like school suspension). So far, workgroup participants outlined the details for the service and collaborated with Vaya’s internal leadership to communicate with providers who may be interested in helping to fill this gap.
While unveiling deficits in the system can sometimes feel overwhelming and seem impossible to solve, our work with Vaya has shown that doing so is possible. Especially if you combine your efforts with other experts in fields who are just as invested in finding solutions that work for everyone.
We at Benchmarks are so grateful to all the participants in Vaya’s Pathways to Permanency project as well as others who have committed to working alongside us every day. Huge thanks to our members and other project partners. Your time, efforts, experience, and expertise are invaluable, and we appreciate you dedicating each of these to improving the lives of the children and families of North Carolina.
If you are in Vaya’s catchment and are interested in learning more about this project or how you can become involved, please reach out Ashley Parks at Ashley.Parks@vayahealth.com.
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