System integration across child welfare, behavioral health, and Medicaid
October 24, 2022
Children and families involved in the behavioral health and child welfare systems are often the most vulnerable and in need of intensive supports. Fragmented systems of care across child welfare, behavioral health, and Medicaid often cause families “to fall through the cracks,” leading to increased use of high-cost services that separate families and results in poorer outcomes. These siloed approaches perpetuate and exacerbate trauma to children and families. In the second in a series of briefs focused on enhancing the youth behavioral health system, the HMA team of Uma Ahluwalia, Caitlin Thomas-Henkel, Roxanne Kennedy, and Courtney Thompson propose four core design elements – and related KPIs – for establishing a high-functioning integrated system of care for children, youth, and their families, child welfare, Medicaid, and behavioral health systems.
