Families whose children have complex needs often require help from more than one agency or system. Imagine the challenges facing the family of 7-year-old Johnny.

Johnny has already been held back a grade in school. His emotional outbursts make it difficult for him to be in the classroom environment and his teachers suspect he has a learning disability. In addition, Johnny gets bullied at school because he acts differently than the other kids. The bullying seems to increase his emotional outbursts. At home, Johnny directs his negative energy toward his 3-year-old little sister. Who do Johnny’s parents turn to for help?

In Johnny’s case, his parents may seek help from teachers, school counselors, a primary care doctor, child psychologists, and family therapists. If care is not coordinated across agencies, then each of these professionals will create a different plan of care for Johnny, which may duplicate or conflict with his other plans. When communities or states have an integrated system of care, providers work together to create a single coordinated plan of care for the child and the family that maximizes access to effective services while minimizing excess costs and bureaucratic barriers for families.

Colorado agencies are working to create an integrated system of care that will help the families of children with serious emotional disturbances access the services they need across multiple agencies. While a truly integrated system is not yet in place, the Colorado System of CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Education) project launched by the Division of Behavioral Health should move our state closer to that goal.

As part of this federally funded initiative, the Colorado System of CARE project leaders have selected eight “Communities of Excellence” (see blue areas on map) to expand the system of care in their communities and work with the State of Colorado to develop the infrastructure for a statewide integrated system of care. These communities have demonstrated their efforts to coordinate care between health/mental health, social services, juvenile justice, education, and other agencies. The grants will provide these communities with funds to do things such as hire family partners, plan data sharing, conduct research, and offer Wraparound training in their communities.