In the System of Care (SOC) approach, leaders across child-serving sectors, such as child welfare, behavioral health, Medicaid, juvenile justice, education, health systems, and developmental disabilities, work together to improve behavioral health and related outcomes for children and their families. This approach requires long-term commitment, which can be challenging in the context of shifting government priorities. To work well, the SOC approach needs long-term support in its structure, philosophy, and funding.

This brief, developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies in partnership with Casey Family Programs, highlights implementation lessons from successful statewide SOC efforts across the country. It outlines practical strategies to help child-serving systems collaborate to build a shared commitment, establish financing strategies, ensure system coordination, and meaningfully involve families in program design and implementation.

See also companion profiles that spotlight efforts in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oklahoma to create SOC approaches that prevent child welfare involvement. The profiles include background details on the states’ SOC approaches, governance structures, strategies for implementation, and the impact and sustainability of their approaches.

A related brief highlights how the SOC model can be a valuable tool for states seeking to shift services from reactive to proactive, prevention-driven solutions — helping to both improve care for children and families and reduce avoidable costs for states.