March 9, 2020
Group charged with developing a state and local continuum of care for children, youth, young adults
Salem, Ore. -- The System of Care Advisory Council is meeting for the first time today.
The council was created by Senate Bill 1 (2019), directing the group to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of the state and local continuum of care that provides services to children, youth and young adults. The 25-member council is appointed by the Governor. It incorporates a cross-section of child-serving agencies, programs, professionals, family members and young people to create a centralized and impartial forum for statewide planning and policy development. The immediate work of the council is to develop and maintain a state System of Care and a comprehensive long-range plan for a coordinated state system.
Governor Kate Brown and Judge Nan Waller welcomed council members and set the tone for their work creating policy and a plan to implement System of Care in Oregon.
"Oregon’s system of care has been overburdened," said Governor Brown. "The System of Care Advisory Council will help us take steps toward getting families the help they need sooner so they can stay together. With a more coordinated system, we can help ensure that children and youth with specialized needs receive care in appropriate treatment settings, and put them on the path to succeed at home, at school, and in the community."
System of Care is defined as a coordinated network of services and supports to youth that:
- Integrates planning and management across multiple levels of care.
- Is culturally and linguistically responsive.
- Is designed to build meaningful partnerships with families and youth in the delivery and management of services and the development of policy.
- Is supported by a policy and management infrastructure and governance at the state and local levels.
- Is community-based with relationships at the local level.
- Is data-driven.
- Is rooted in System of Care philosophy.
The goal of System of Care is to create a coordinated network of services for children and youth with or at risk for mental illness or other challenges, and their families, so that young people are successful at home, in school, in their community and throughout life.
This council will build on work done most recently by the Oregon Children and Youth with Specialized Needs Workgroup. Focusing this work on the System of Care values and principles ensures Oregon is using nationally recognized best practice that has shown better outcomes wherever it has been implemented.
"The System of Care values and principles make sense," said Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen. "Parents and young people tell us that every system has its own entry point, rules and processes. We need to figure out how to make this simpler and easier to access and get young people the services they need, when they need them."
After remarks from Gov. Brown and Judge Waller, a national expert provided background on System of Care and a framework for the group’s work going forward.
The next meeting is 8:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 15, in Room 350 of the Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St. NE in Salem
Learn more at the System of Care Advisory Council website.
Council members:
Judge Nan Waller, Oregon Judicial Department
Leisl Wendt, Department of Human Services
Bruce Baker, Department of Human Services - Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities
Peter Sprengelmeyer, Oregon Youth Authority
Steve Allen, Oregon Health Authority
Candace Pelt, Oregon Department of Education
Bill Bouska, coordinated care organization
Pending, coordinated care organization (rural representation)
Kyle Johnson, psychiatrist
Robin Henderson, psychologist
Randall Phelps, pediatric physician
Dan Thoma, commercial insurance
Adam Rodakowski, Andrew Grover, and Tabitha Jensen, services and supports to youth and families
Martin Rafferty, youth advocacy organizations
Sandy Bumpus, organizations that advocate for families of youth
Emily Braman, family member, intellectual / developmental disabilities or mental illness
Annette Majekodunmi, family member, foster or juvenile justice
Jesus Nunez-Pineda, youth peer support specialist
Pending, youth - ward, youth or youth offender
Lynne Schroeder, county juvenile department director
Stan Gilbert, county mental health director
Pending, tribal representative
Chris Shank, federally mandated disability protection and advocacy agency
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