History

1999
In December 1999, a group of State agencies who serve Oklahoma children and families joined forces to engage in a three year commitment to fund and implement a Systems of Care pilot project. These agencies included: Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), Department of Human Services, Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

Modeled after the successful demonstration of federally-funded Systems of Care efforts in other states, Oklahoma’s effort utilized State funds to address the unique challenges of delivering needed services to a culturally diverse and primarily rural population. Projects share common features, but each is adapted to the particular area in which it is located. Kay County and Tulsa County were selected as Oklahoma’s pilot project sites.

2002
In 2002, the Federal government rewarded the State’s determination and commitment with a $9.4 million grant to the ODMHSAS to fund a six-year expansion of the original effort. Although still in its infancy, initial performance evaluation along with experiences from the pilot effort point to this as being a significant improvement in the State’s ability to deliver needed services to families with children who have emotional or behavioral problems.

The Systems of Care approach of service delivery will require the cooperation of everyone who has a role in serving children with emotional disturbance. This includes family members, educators, mental health workers, health care providers, social service agency personnel, juvenile justice system workers, and members of a variety of community organizations.

Systems of Care is a Priority for Oklahoma
According to the federal Center for Mental Health Services, at least one in ten American children has a serious emotional disturbance. Family members, teachers, and others who care about these children know that emotional disturbance disrupts a child’s ability to interact effectively with family members, teachers, friends and others in the community.

Families often turn to schools, mental health centers, and other social service agencies for assistance in dealing with a child’s emotional disturbance. Sometimes, however, organizations who can help do not work as a team to address all of the family’s needs.

Oklahoma has taken an important step toward improving services for families affected by a child’s emotional disturbance by initiating a Systems of Care project. The Systems of Care is a proven evidence-based practice uniquely tailored to Oklahoma communities.

Systems of Care is a priority for Oklahoma because:

• Every child’s mental health is important
• Many children have mental health problems
• These problems are real and painful and can be severe
• Mental health problems can be recognized and treated