Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs) have historically served large numbers of children and youth, and particularly those with the most serious behavioral health challenges, in non community-based settings for long lengths of stay. Serving children and youth through the Care Management Entity approach requires realignment for residential treatment providers to focus on working from a system of care perspective, partnering with youth and families, community providers and Wraparound teams to return children to the community rapidly and individualize services and supports when a child is in care.

This webinar: 1) described the Building Bridges Initiative, both as a national initiative that is “working to identify and promote practice and policy that will create strong and closely coordinated partnerships and collaborations between families, youth, community – and residentially – based treatment and service providers;” and from the perspective of a provider in Massachusetts; and 2) highlighted the experience of New Jersey and one of its residential treatment providers in changing its philosophy and service delivery model and work more collaboratively with children and families served by CMEs.

Agenda

I. Introduction

Speakers: Dayana Simons, Senior Program Officer, CHCS and Sheila A. Pires, Partner, Human Service Collaborative, Washington, DC; Senior Program Consultant, CHCS Child Health Quality

II. Reengineering Residential Treatment

Speaker: Christopher Bellonci, Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Senior Psychiatric Consultant, Walker, Needham, Massachusetts

Dr. Bellonci described the national Building Bridges Initiative and discussed his experience at Walker, a residential treatment provider in Massachusetts.

Speaker: Brian Hancock, Deputy Director of Operations Robins’ Nest Inc. and Roy Leitstein, Executive Director, The Children’s Home of Burlington County

Mr. Hancock and Mr. Leitstein described the approach taken by New Jersey in transforming residential care for their Children’s System of Care.