The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a plan to support children with complex behavioral health needs who come into the care of child welfare services. PRE’s Meredith Radford has more.
NCDHHS convened the Child Welfare and Family Well-being Transformation Team to create an action plan for children in crisis. It includes strategies to connect children to care placement options quickly, ensure they receive appropriate care and support, expand treatment services and prevent children from being removed from their homes or experiencing multiple placements.
According to a news release, the number of children with these needs for physical and mental health care far exceeds the services available. The longer children are separated from families, the less likely they are to be reunited, and they run a higher risk of experiencing poor health and social outcomes.
The action plan is the first in a series of proposed prevention, family stabilization, and treatment solutions that the Transformation Team will recommend this year.
For Public Radio East, I’m Meredith Radford.
