Comprehensive Community Mental Health Program

Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program... 

Sponsoring Agency. The Children s and Communities Mental Health Services Improvement Act of 1992 authorized the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (ccmhp), which is administered by the Center for Mental Health Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (samhsa). samhsa is mandated to improve the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services for mental illness and substance abuse in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and other societal cost caused by these problems (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2002). The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHs), placed within samhsa, aims to improve the availability and accessibility of high-quality care for people affected by or at risk for mental disorders and works toward the development of an effective community-based mental health infrastructure for the nation (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2002). 

Center for Mental Health Services (1997). Comprehensive community mental health services for children program. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Technical Report. 

Special Issue The national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (2001). Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 9. 

Eppel, A. B., Fuyarchuk, C., Phelps, D., Tersigni-Phelan, A. (1991). A comprehensive and practical quality assurance program for community mental health services. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 36,102-106. 

But, two events finally motivated me to write this book. The first was an initiative called the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, apart of Health and Human Services. These grants started in fiscal year 2004. They are awarded to states and are for 2.35 million a year for 5 years. Nineteen states were funded in fiscal year 2004, 5 in fiscal year 2005, and 12 to 15 more are planned for fiscal year 2006. These grants are designed to help states and communities develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based prevention programs and strategies. 

Concerns that disproportionate numbers of children with serious emotional disturbance were being removed from their communities led to the development of systems of care in the 1980s. In 1992, Congress passed the Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program which supported the development of these systems of care. A system of care is in or near the home and community. In fiilly developed systems of care, local public and private organizations work in teams with families and children to both plan and implement individualized services for each child s physical, emotional, social, educational, and family needs. Teams include family advocates and representatives fi om mental health, health, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, vocational rehabilitation, recreation, substance abuse, and other services. Systems of care have supported the use of mental health clinicians in schools, school- and community-based wraparound planning and services, and student support services (Woodruff et al., 1999). 

Vision To develop and implement a comprehensive array of school-based programs and services to support students, family, and community. Goals (1) To provide a full continuum of mental health promotion and intervention programs and services to include early identification and intervention, prevention, evaluation, and treatment. (2) To remove barriers to learning and improve the academic success of students. (3) To enhance strengths and protective factors in students, families, and the school community. (4) To promote the quality of life and wellness in military families. (5) To provide training, staff development, and research opportunities to improve children s mental health and education. 

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