NC Children’s Behavioral Health

Behavioral Health Springboard’s long standing collaboration with our state partners was solidified with the creation of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being (DCFW). This partnership was further strengthened when BHS’s Child Behavioral Health (CBH) pod was developed. The pod structure is a unique structure at BHS, which helps organize staff into groups based on expertise. The CBH pod provides child-specific subject matter expertise to DCFW, and pod members are also members of DCFW’s CBH unit. All pod members are “contractors” with the Division, meaning that our day-to-day tasks and projects are aligned with Division needs, while also adhering to the administrative requirements of BHS.

Children with Complex Needs (CWCN) is defined as youth who are between the ages of 5 and 21, with a developmental and/or intellectual disability and a mental health disorder diagnosis who are Medicaid eligible and at risk of not being able to return to or maintain placement in a community setting. The CWCN Program Specialist develops training and workforce opportunities for those who serve CWCN.

Early Childhood Behavioral Health in North Carolina is an initiative that is currently underway. Various workgroups, both internal and external to DCFW, have been created to clarify what the goals will be for Infant Early Childhood Behavioral Health in the state. The Infant Early Childhood Behavioral Health Program Specialist provides support to Division staff to develop programmatic goals and workforce development activities.

The Rapid Response Team (RRT) is a cross-divisional team that meets every weekday to facilitate the resolution of immediate needs for children in the custody of the Division of Social services (DSS). The RRT aids children who are in crisis by removing barriers to treatment, collaborating with county DSS, Tailored Plans, and other stakeholders in the child serving system. The RRT Coordinator facilitates the daily meetings, captures action items to follow up with county DSS’s and LME/MCOs, and tracks updates on all active cases.

School Behavioral Health consists of programs that support the overall strategic goals developed by DCFW. One program of note is the statewide implementation of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA). Other activities include supporting the implementation of Project AWARE/ACTIVATE, enhancement of the School Mental Health Initiative, and partnership between DCFW and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The School Behavioral Health Program Specialist aids in the facilitation of said programs, in partnership with DCFW leadership.

System of Care (SOC) is a philosophy based on the understanding that families are involved with and are supported by other agencies and should be included in the plans for their children’s care. The System of Care values guided efforts to increase access to high-quality behavioral health services for children and families. The System of Care Program Specialists engage with county SOC collaboratives to provide technical assistance on their specific initiatives and promote SOC values by collaborating with various organizations to ensure that families’ voices are heard.