Access to Care

Accessing Services—Children with Intensive Needs
The Collaboration Council partners with agencies that deliver youth and family- driven culturally competent services and supports for youth with behavioral health challenges to promote success in school, strengthen bonds in the family, and develop ways of coping and overcoming emotional and behavioral problems.

Pathway to Services helps children and their families connect with community based services and supports that exist in Montgomery County. Pathways works with families with Medical Assistance, private insurance or families that are uninsured.

Local Care Team: The LCT is the next stop in the system of care for many families. As an interagency team of public child-serving agencies along with consistent family-voice representation, the members problem solve how to best use local resources to keep the family intact and increase both adult and child/youth family members’ functioning. The LCT is the pathway to wraparound services in the community. It also reviews cases of children and youth that meet eligibility to be placed in high cost residential programs in-state or out-of-state.

Wraparound:This is a strengths-based family driven process that puts in place an array of services and informal supports that help strengthen families and addresses emotional and behavioral concerns within the community. Basically, your family is wrapped in supports with the help of a Care Coordinator.

Outcomes: In FY16, Pathways to Services received 450 calls. 75% were given referrals to community resources. 80% of calls reported they were satisfied with the referral and 85% reported increased confidence and competence in addressing future needs.

Of the 152 cases reviewed by the Local Care Team, 64 were connected to the YMCA’s wraparound services; 75% had no critical incidents during service; 90% did not engage in delinquent behaviors; and, 88% did not enter an acute psychiatric placement.

Hello youth, young adults, family, friends and providers!

Bridges to the Future is a new Montgomery County initiative to expand, enhance, and sustain its longstanding System of Care for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families. It is designed to meet the complex needs of youth and young adults transitioning into adulthood, ages 16-21. Through a collaborative community process, this initiative will help to develop a system of comprehensive, integrated services and supports to “bridge” the gap between children’s mental health to adult mental health and related systems including education, training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, and housing. Another critical component of Bridges to the Future is the intensive care coordination model built on the foundation of wraparound principles adapted for transition-aged youth so youth can be connected to a wide range of services based on their strengths and needs. Bridges will engage youth, young adults and their families in a culturally competent, trauma-informed manner to promote successful transitions into adulthood and into the community.

Bridges to the Future started accepting referrals in January 2018. For referrals or questions regarding Bridges to the Future, please send emails to intake@collaborationcouncil.org or call 301-879-5200.

Hill, Hope
Behavioral Health Content Specialist
Extension 209
hope.hill@collaborationcouncil.org

Boland, Kathy
LCT Coordinator
Extension 210
kathy.boland@collaborationcouncil.org

Gibson, Jessica
Project Coordinator
Extension 212
jessica.gibson@collaborationcouncil.org

Cady, Debra
Project Director, System of Care
Extension 225
debra.cady@collaborationcouncil.org

Children with Intensive Needs (CWIN) Form