PDN Article- Mar ch
2, 2013
This is
the first of a series of public awareness articles on the Guam System of Care
four-year Expansion Plan. This article will focus on the first of five
strategies of the plan which is the implementation of regulatory changes and
systemwide care standards and protocols.
Institutionalizing
care standards and protocols that are based on system of care core values,
principles and best practices across child-serving systems would build a strong
foundation that would lead to positive policies and regulatory changes. These
care standards and protocols then can be upheld through contracts, memoranda of
agreements, policies, licensing codes and continuous quality management.
One of
the sub-strategies is the development of an Executive Committee on System of
Care which Gov. Eddie Calvo has established and whose members are senior-level
management of the government agencies that service children and youths. This
committee, which meets quarterly, would be receiving input from the Guam System
of Care Council and the Expansion Planning Team and would be the focal point of
accountability for regulatory and system changes.
At the
initial meeting of the committee last week, each member signed a commitment for
system of care and the agencies they represent to adopt a system of care for
children and families that is: child-centered, youth guided, and family-driven;
based on individual strengths and needs; utilizes best practices; and provides
services in the least restrictive setting possible.
Other
action items in this sub-strategy are the exploration of blending and braiding
funds across agencies in the service of multi-system involved youths, and the
development of confidentiality agreements, data sharing and the development of
a unified care plan across child-serving agencies.
The
Executive Committee on System of Care can assist in streamlining and
integrating government programs, services and data systems with the intent of
improving efficiency and creating better outcomes for children and youths.
The other
sub-strategy is the development of core competencies for the implementation of
the system of care framework for Guam . This
involves a review of the standards and protocols for wraparound, documenting
the process and establishing guidelines for wrap team membership, roles and
responsibilities and wraparound caseload size.
It
includes the development of minimum licensure standards based on the core
competencies for contracted service providers, and creates a monitoring tool to
audit providers based on these licensure requirements.
Action
items in this sub-strategy are the development of minimum training standards
based on the core competencies for clinical staff, service providers,
child-serving agencies, youth and family peer specialists, including hours of
training, supervision and creating a monitoring tool to record and audit
compliance to training standards.
Another
action item is the establishment of a continuous quality management review and
audit schedule to review compliance with the standards prior to re-contracting
and/or bidding of services, and to bring the standard of care in the form of
memoranda of agreement to other child-serving agency partners to seek their
support and commitment to the expansion of the system of care within their
service area.
Annie
F.B.Unpingco, LCSW, is administrator of I Famagu'on-ta, Child Adolescent
Services Division at the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
