Project Directors: Jytte Methmann

Duration: 5 years, ending September 29, 2009

Summary: ADHS, in collaboration with other Arizona child serving agencies, will use the 5 year, $3.75-million State Infrastructure Grant funds to expand and sustain the activities that are already taking place to promote the Arizona Vision and Principles. The Arizona Vision identifies meaningful behavioral health service outcomes for eligible children and their families, is built on a set of principles based on the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) core system of care values, to which Arizona child serving agencies are also firmly committed.

Grant funds are targeted to address all aspects of the Department’s strategic plan to fulfill this Vision, including: creating and sustaining trusting partnerships with families, and with other child-serving systems; developing, teaching and implementing effective practice improvement protocols; workforce development through expanded training and coaching; community infrastructure development for child and family serving agencies, including effective venues for barrier identification and resolution; and improvements to the overall quality management system to ensure sustainability of the statewide system reform; and expanding available capacity to furnish critical services and supports to children and their families.

In addition to supporting the major reform strategies already noted, the grant will especially aid Arizona in four areas of special concentration: adolescent substance abuse, children birth to five years old and their families, transition of youth from incarceration back to the community, and supporting children and youth through major life transitions (e.g. from youth to adulthood, and transitions related to child welfare).