DO FOR, DO WITH, CHEER ON: AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY

DO FOR, DO WITH, CHEER ON:
AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY SUCCESS STORY
28th Annual Research and Policy Conference on
Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Behavioral Health
March 23, 2015
INTRODUCTIONS
Allegheny County Department of
Human Services
Youth Support Partner Unit
Aaron Thomas, Manager of Professional
Development & Coaching
Marieke Johnson, Program Manager
• Be presented with recruitment strategies
BY THE END OF THIS
SESSION YOU
WILL….
• Learn strategies used to implement a YSP
program
• Discuss replication issues and concerns
• Identify techniques to support a Youth
Support Partner
Investing in young alumni of the childserving systems to be peer mentors to
help improve outcomes for youth and
their families!
YOUTH SUPPORT PARTNER ROLE
• Supports the implementation efforts of Systems Integration and Improving
Outcomes for Children and Families through family teaming.
• Peer mentor, positive role model, advocate and support youth and young
adults.
• Assist youth in achieving their goals, in making good choices, pursuing
healthy life choices, handling adversity and peer pressure, connecting with
resources, helping youth have a voice and be accountable for their own
lives and future.
• Working independently and with teams in order to identify, advocate and
act as a liaison between youth and other professionals and community
natural supports.
FAMOUS SPIN OFFS
7
HOW WE GOT STARTED…
Between 1998 and 2011, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Behavioral
Health (OBH) received grants from the U,S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement
three projects – CCF (Community Connection for Families).
• 2003-2011: System of Care – Partnerships for Youth in Transition (14-21), Starting Early
Together (0-5)
• 2008: High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) piloted and first YSPs hired
• 2009: YSP Unit developed
HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND
TEAMS IN
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
• Youth and Family Team
• Facilitator
• Family Support Partner
• Youth Support Partner
• Supervisor/Coach for each role
HIGH-FIDELITY IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY
• Joint Planning Teams
• OCYF (Child Welfare)
• **FAST: Family and System Teams
• **Gwen's Girls
THIS PRESENTATION WILL DEMONSTRATE
SUCCESSES AND LESSONS WE LEARNED
ALONG THE WAY!!!!
by the direction of ………..
commitment …………………….
& experience………………….
DO FOR:
2008-2010
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR
SYSTEM CHANGE
DO FOR:
2008-2010
• Youth and Family Training Institute (YFTI) & Vroon VanDenberg
Establishing Credentialing Process
Providing Training & Oversight
Providing Technical Assistance
DO FOR:
CONTINUED….
DHS System Partners:
• Human Services Administration Organization (HSAO)
• Allegheny Children's Initiative (ACI)
• Family Resources
• Allegheny Family Network (Family Support Partners)
• Great Lakes Behavioral Health/Diversified Care Management (Human
Resources)
DO FOR:
• Car Rides
• Coaching (Personal & Professional)
• Mentoring (DHS)
• Advocates
• Supportive Team Member
• Champions
DO WITH:
2010-2013
(SETTING THE STAGE)
RECRUITING & HIRING
• Where do we find eligible candidates?
• Discussing personal experiences during the interview process
• Challenges
• Ongoing dialogue with Human Resources
THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT
ABOUT THIS JOB….
Job Title: Youth Support Partner Supervisor/Coach
• Support of Youth Support
•
•
•
•
A lot of emphasis on Coach
Personal life situations
Flexibility and understanding trauma
Role Modeling
SUPPORT FOR THE SUPPORTERS
• Dr. Walt Smith
• Other coaches
• Leadership for Strength Based Family Workers Credential
(formerly FDC/FDLC)
• Youth and Family Training Institute (on-going support, collaboration, T&A)
PAPER JOB DESCRIPTION VS. REAL
TIME JOB
What they told us….
Supervisor/Coach
• Supervision & Oversight
• Reviews case notes
• Case consultation
• Skill building
• Coordinates team building activities
• Timesheets & Worklogs
• Set expectations
• Monitors schedule/calendar
The reality…
Life Coach
• Birthdays
• Baby Showers
• Funerals
• Holidays
• Domestic Violence
• Re-Traumatization
• Budgeting
• Vehicles
• And the things they told us!
• Mandated Reporter
• Trauma Informed Care
• Vicarious Traumatization
WHAT YOU DON’T
KNOW WE WILL
TEACH YOU… OR WE
WILL FIND SOMEONE
WHO CAN
• Mental Health Continuum
• Compassion Fatigue
• Case Notes
• Microsoft
• Mental Health 1st Aid
• Time Management
• Cultural Competency
• You name it… they get trained in it
TRANSITION
FROM “TOKEN YOUTH”
TO VALUED & RESPECTED
EXPERT
STANDING IN COURT
CHALLENGES
• Overcoming trauma response behaviors
• Supporting vs. enabling
• Boundaries
• Where do YSPs go from here?
CHEER ON:
• New structure to accommodate growth
• Creating Supervisor/Coach training and support
• The move
• Ongoing development and assessing program needs
2015 AND BEYOND
SPECIALIZED SUPPORT & TRAINING
John Amato
•
Customized leadership series
training:
•
•
•
•
Situational Leadership
DISC Assessment
Emotional Intelligence
Transference of Learning
Sharon Sutton
Sheila Washington
•
Trauma Informed Care
•
Teaming
•
Vicarious Traumatization and Selfcare
•
Mission & Vision
Consultation with managers
•
Culture
•
FUNDING STREAMS
• Managed Care/Reinvestment Dollars
• Dept. of Public Welfare Grant to DHS
• Funding streams based on child's eligibility
NUMBER SERVED
• YSPs have an average caseload of 12-15 youth
• Approx. 250 youth served at a time
• More than 600 youth served
• More than 45 alumni hired as YSPs since 2008
• 2 YSPs were youth served by a YSP in HFW
CHEER ON:
THANK YOU
Contact Info:
Marieke Johnson – Marieke.Johnson@alleghenycounty.us
Aaron Thomas – aaron.Thomas@alleghenycounty.us