Q. Where do the resources for the Children's Partnership come from and how is this effort sustainable?
A. The Children's Partnership has received resources from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Texas Children's Mental Health Plan of the Texas Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Region XIII Education Service Center, Travis County Health and Human Services, Travis County Juvenile Probation Department, Austin Travis County Integral Care, Casey Family Programs as well as Austin, Manor, Pflugerville and Del Valle independent school districts. These important and significant contributions of resources have helped The Children's Partnership become what it is today. Looking forward, we strive to enhance our coalition through local community, state and federal support. 

In order to sustain the effort to the broader community, we provide training and technical assistance to organizations and individuals who impact children, youth and families' lives on a daily basis either through their work or personal lives. 

Q. How are families' experiences different with The Children's Partnership?
A. The Children's Partnership is about changing how a community responds to children and youth with mental health needs and their families. The Children's Partnership's new way of responding uses a process called Wraparound, which acknowledges parents and families as experts in their child's life. Staff members, families and providers create a Wraparound plan for each individual child or youth, depending on his or her unique situation. Based on the strengths and needs of the family, this plan identifies supports and services that will support their child/youth's ability to successfully function at school, home and in the community. Staff members of The Children's Partnership pride themselves on being partners with the families, listening to their needs and addressing them with dignity and respect, encouraging success for each participant family. 

Q. How has The Children's Partnership changed the way children and youth services are provided?
A. The Children's Partnership believes in agency collaboration and community and family involvement, and has demonstrated that uniting and coordinating local resources is a more cost-effective and efficient approach to providing services to children, youth and families. Such community collaboration prevents the duplication of services, reduces the need for residential treatment placements for children and youth, supporting families' ability to continue living together in the community. 

In addition, The Children's Partnership employs Parent Liaisons, who are parents of children and youth with mental health needs who have experience navigating the public systems, to assist other parents who are experiencing similar life situations. The use of Parent Liaisons has been invaluable in offering parents the support they need to access services, and the opportunity to discuss issues about changes they would like to see within the community system of care. 

Q. What are the non-traditional services and supports Travis County families are asking for? 
A. Nontraditional services available for families include resources available through faith-based, community-based and neighborhood organizations, as well as school and after-school programs. The support that The Children's Partnership helps coordinate and monitor can be as basic as transportation, parent to parent support, after school care, mentoring and respite care. 

Q. What are the major barriers to implementing these changes in the system?
A. Changing the way the community responds to children and youth with mental health needs and their families is a challenging and rewarding process. Many times, the stigma relating to individuals with mental health needs can become a barrier to getting needs met through appropriate, timely services. Many agencies that assist children, youth and families are not designed to offer services at times and places convenient to the family. This lack of access to care can become a significant barrier. Other barriers include the fragmentation of service providers and duplication of services available to children, youth and families. 

Q. How does the referral process work? 
A. First, a child or youth with a mental health need must be considered to be at risk for, or currently be placed outside of their home environment due to a mental health need. In addition, because of funding requirements, there are specific criteria that must be met for a family to be eligible to participate in the Wraparound process. If you want to know more about our population of focus, or how to refer someone, please send us an email at the link below. 

Q. What is The Children's Partnership's relationship with other children's initiatives?
A. The Children's Partnership's collaborative spirit prevents duplication of services and it provides families with the types of services and supports they need to keep their child safe in the community. The Wraparound process and the philosophy of the approach is something The Children's Partnership believes can be adopted by any entity that assists children, youth and families with complex needs. Do you want to know more? Are you interested in training on this approach? Please send us an email at the link below. 

Q. How does The Children's Partnership measure outcomes, and how do outcomes affect practice ?
A. The Children's Partnership has partnered with the UT Center for Social Work Research and with ATCMHMR to evaluate and measure outcomes. Wraparound plans are monitored using a software system designed to measure both clinical and fiscal effectiveness of the services and supports each family receives. These outcomes help The Children's Partnership evaluate its successes and make any necessary adjustments. All forms of evaluation include parent participation. 

Q. What is the role of training and technical assistance?
A. The Children's Partnership is creating a "System of Care" in Travis County - a system that works hand-in-hand with families, focusing on the unique strengths of each child and embracing the unique values and culture of each family. Training and technical assistance allows our staff of Care Coordinators and Parent Liaisons to implement the system of care. We also provide training and technical assistance to communities across the United States who are interested in learning how to implement a system of care. 

Q. What has been the Children's Partnership's approach to governance?
A. The Children's Partnership has a dedicated Board of Directors that includes parent and agency representatives from its partner agencies. Having parents of children and youth with mental health needs involved in designing policy and implementing change has been an incredible asset to The Children's Partnership and makes it unique from other Boards of Directors. 

Q. How important is the role of the Texas Integrated Funding Initiative Consortium? 
A. The Children's Partnership has developed a strong relationship with the Consortium. Both organizations share the philosophy that parents are partners when decisions are made about their children's mental health treatment.

If you have a question about The Children's Partnership that was not answered above, or would like to know how to get involved, please email Christy Kuehn at christinia.kuehn@co.travis.tx.us.