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System of Care

Development of the the System of Care

In 1984 Assembly Bill (AB) 3920 funded Ventura County to pilot a community based, interagency system of mental health care, which targeted children who were seriously emotionally disturbed. The goals were to maintain the children in their natural environments as much as possible, provide family centered, culturally competent services, and support the entire family with interagency collaboration and coordinated service delivery.  The project was very successful and lead the legislature to extend this concept; by 1987, AB377 passed. This bill extended the project and specified measurable goals which Ventura had to achieve. Ventura exceeded the goals and in 1988, three more counties (Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Riverside) implemented the Ventura model, now called the System of Care (SOC) or the California Comprehensive System of Care (CCSOC). Three years later, the counties saw that the SOC yielded very beneficial results :

1. Reduced the rate of placements and costs going into state hospitals and group homes, the most restrictive and costly levels of care.
2. Reduced juvenile justice re-arrest rates.
3. Increased school attendance and performance.

A study by Rosenblatt and Attkison in 1992 compared the costs of the System of Care to the traditional system. The savings to the counties were impressive; the counties saved four dollars for every dollar spent. AB3015 made funds available to expand the model to other counties. Thus in 1993, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Merced, Monterey, Placer, San Luis Obispo, and Stanislaus were awarded funding. During 1994, Solano, Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Napa counties were awarded federal funds by The Center for Mental Health Services, bringing the total to fifteen System of Care Counties.

On July 1, 1991, Realignment was implemented. State and Local responsibilities for mental health services were altered. In particular, Realignment changed the county/state fiscal relationship. The state transferred specific revenue sources to counties and the counties had the authority to determine how these dollars were spent. Additionally," trust funds” were created specifically for mental health and social services in each county. These funds were intended to maintain existing programs and/or to develop new ones. Realignment increased local flexibility and allowed the counties to further expand their SOC programs and services, further strengthening the implementation of the System of Care within California.

The Philosophy of the System of Care

Children and youth with serious emotional disturbances have multiple needs spanning a variety of agencies. The System of Care (SOC) project is an effort to improve planning and collaboration between mental health, social services, education, juvenile justice and health care agencies. The SOC project is also using federal and state grant resources to develop an expanded array of community-based mental health services of children, youth, and families.

The primary goals of the System of Care are enabling children and youth with serious emotional disturbances to remain at home, succeed in school, and avoid involvement with the juvenile justice system.

The following principles and values are central to the System of Care:

• The System of Care services must be child and family centered.
• Children and youth should receive individualized services based on their unique needs and potential.
• Children and youth should have access to a comprehensive array of services addressing their physical, emotional, social and educational needs.

• Families with children and youth with serious emotional disturbances need supportive services, such as respite care, crisis services, support for siblings, and support groups for parents and or faster parents with similar problems.

• Care is best provided in a child’s or youth’s natural living environment. Services should be provided in a child’s or youth’s natural living environment. Services should be provided in the least restrictive, most appropriate environment of where children and youth frequently are, such as schools, day care centers, homes, and juvenile justice facilities.

To support families, the SOC grant mandates a parent support group. Parents are the ultimate experts and life long case managers of their children. Empowering parents to do this job to the best of their ability is the goal of the support group. Through support groups, parents can network with peers experiencing similar problems, learn about community resources, educate themselves, and learn advocacy. The SOC counties are offering a comprehensive family centered approach to families’ needs. But families also need to participate; to facilitate the care and services needed and provide feedback to the counties. The SOC truly works on collaborative efforts.

For a listing of individuals who oversee the SOC parent support group component in their respective counties go to SOC Empowerment Groups.

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