Background:
The Surgeon General's National Action Agenda for Children's Mental Health issued
in 1999 framed both the promotion of mental health in children and the treatment of mental
disorders as major public health goals. Despite this emphasis, some families still have
difficulty accessing appropriate care for their children. Families may even give up
custody of their child because the intervention they need is beyond the financial reach of
the family.Youth across the United States are touched by multiple systems that are
often uncoordinated. Consequently, children are falling through the cracks.
Nebraska has one of the nation’s highest per capita state ward populations.
Nationally, children in foster care use mental health services at a rate up to 15 times
higher other children in the Medicaid system. Nebraska has a number of systems that
interface with youth and their families. Protection and Safety, education, juvenile
justice, and children’s behavioral health systems can partner with youth and their
families to enhance state infrastructure that supports coordinated community level
interventions and programs.
Charge:
Developed strategies to decrease the number of children who are made
wards of the state primarily to access mental health and substance abuse services
Developed strategies to incorporate family-centered practice into
individualized plans of care for youth across systems
Timeline:
August – February, 2006
Sponsoring
State Infrastructure Grant
Members:
| Committee
Members |
Affiliation
|
Location
|
State
Agency |
Todd Reckling |
DHHS |
Lincoln |
Lonnie Stark |
DHHS |
Scottsbluffs |
Judy Vohland |
Dept of Education Voc Rehab |
Grand Island |
Roxie Cillessen |
DHHS Medicaid and Long Term Care |
Lincoln |
Barb Schliesser |
Department of Education UNL |
Lincoln |
Adria Bace |
Department of Education UNL |
Lincoln |
Karen Stevens |
Safe Schools Department of
Education |
Lincoln |
Sue Adams |
DHHS Behavioral Health |
Lincoln |
| Others |
Vicki Weisz |
UNL Center, Families & Law |
Lincoln |
Reece Peterson |
UNL Barkley Center |
Lincoln |
Deb Scholten |
Local Health Directors |
South Sioux City |
Jose Soto |
Southeast Community College |
Lincoln |
Marilyn McGary |
Urban League of Nebraska |
Omaha |
Kim Hawekotte |
Omaha Juvenile Attorney |
Omaha |
| Local
SOC |
| Harriet Lambrecht |
Families Care |
Kearney |
| Deb McCoy |
Region IV Behavioral Health |
Norfolk |
| Renee Dozier |
Region V Behavioral Health |
Lincoln |
| Doug Swanson |
Beatrice Safe Schools Healthy Students |
Beatrice |
| Mary Dean Harvey |
Omaha Safe Schools Healthy Students |
Omaha |
| John Street |
Grand Island Public Schools |
Grand Island |
| Joan Francis |
Panhandle Partnership |
Kimball |
| Dick Shea |
Sarpy County Detention Center |
Sarpy County |
| Debra Schorr |
Lancaster County Commissioner |
Lincoln |
| Rodale Emkin |
Supervisor - Phelps County Commissioner |
Phelps County |
| Jill Shubauer |
Region III Behavioral Health |
Kearney |
| Provider |
| Rudi Mitchell |
Carl T. Curtis Health Center |
Macy |
| Marcia Hovlan |
Director Winnebago Counseling Center |
Winnebago |
| Ruth Hendrichs |
President and CEO Lutheran Family Services |
Omaha |
| Katie McLeese Stephenson |
Cedars Youth Services |
Lincoln |
| Denis McCarville |
Uta Halee/CAFCAN |
Omaha |
| James White |
Provider |
Omaha |
| Jerry Easterday |
Medical Association |
Lincoln |
| Maria Prendes-Lintel |
FIRST Project |
Lincoln |
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