Effective System of Care for Youth & Children: Engaging for Success - Essay Sample

System of care refers to a coordinated network of private and public organizations as well as community-based support and services that are effectively organized to help in meeting the various challenges of youth and children who have serious mental health needs (DiClemente et al., 2016). Youth and children have to be engaged actively to ensure that the supports and services are effective, build on an individual's strengths, and are linguistically and culturally competent. Through proper coordination, organizations can be better placed at providing quality care that is comprehensive, synchronized, and family-centered (Farmer et al., 2019). A successful system of care ensures proper sharing of responsibilities and resources for the purpose of supporting the youth and children as well as building capacity for families. The main focus of the system of care is the creation of the needed infrastructures to help in realizing positive outcomes for the youth, families, and children.

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Approaches Taken by Children’s Services Agency

In the interview with social workers or supervisors at the local children’s service agencies, I discovered that social workers embrace various systems of care approaches such as ensuring an effective coordinated network, builds meaningful partnerships with other organizations to help in handling the linguistic and cultural needs of youth and children to assist them in working better in school, at home, in the community, as well as throughout their life. Besides, they create a good relationship with other organizations to pool resources together with the intention of meeting the common needs of the youth and children with mental problems. The social workers take the approaches of ensuring that families and youths who face mental health challenges are effectively reached out to, and appropriate measures are taken to enhance their well-being.Strengths, Weaknesses, and Barriers

In the execution of services to ensure the well-being of various children and youths, the social worker or supervisor of children’s service agencies admits that there are numerous strengths and weaknesses associated with the system of care. One of the main strengths of the system of care emanates from increased access and enhanced mental health services: the system of care has been able to identify and hence handle service gaps that have been identified in the community that are essential for offering support for children and youth with mental problems including evidence-based practices for addressing mental health needs of youth and children in the child welfare system, most of whom have undergone severe trauma (Jacobs et al., 2007). Besides, another strength is that the system of care services are provided by practitioners who are highly trained and hence have the needed expertise in handling mental health issues facing most children and youth.

On the contrary, the system of care has some weaknesses. There is fewer physicians offering system of care services. Owing to the increasing population, there exists a corresponding increase in the number of youths and children facing mental health issues; the number surpasses the number of physicians who are providing the care services; this makes youth and children fail to get the needed services with the immediacy required (Nallamothu et al., 2007). Moreover, there is a lack of data; this makes it difficult to conduct comprehensive research to help in developing more reliable, refined, and valid operational measures concerning the effects of the system of services and, therefore, the basis for enhancing care for youth and children in future (Farmer et al., 2019). The lack of data is, therefore, considered as a weakness in the system of care.

On the other hand, the social worker or supervisor of children’s service agencies admitted that there some barriers that they face in rendering their services to youth and children with mental health care. One of the barriers to service of care is the lack of adequate funding from the government to ensure effective funding of the system of care operations; this makes it difficult for the social workers to reach out to a large number of youth and children and give them the necessary care effectively.

My Recommendation

Concerning changes in the community approach, I would recommend the care providers conduct community-based awareness concerning the importance of the system of care services to youth and children (Farmer et al., 2019). The children’s services agencies should enlighten the community of the significance of its services as well as assuring the community of personal information privacy; this would encourage a large number of youth and children to embrace and support activities of the system of care services.

Interview

In order to conduct an assessment on the various approaches undertaken by the local children’s care agency to coordinate and collaborate with other organizations as well as the strengths and weaknesses and barriers of the service of care, I asked the social worker from a local children’s service agency, “What are the approach you take to ensure coordination and collaboration with other organizations?” I also asked the social worker to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the service of care as well as the barriers they face in delivering services to clients.

The social worker answered, “To ensure coordination and collaboration with other organizations, we establish positive relationships with other organizations to enhance information sharing. Besides, we work together with other organizations to pool resources in order to help up in accomplishing a common goal of providing care to youth and children with mental problems. As per the barriers, the service of care mainly faces barriers of service delivery as a result of lack of sufficient funds.” (Social worker, personal communication, May 27, 2020).

Evaluation of System of Care at the Provision and Delivery of Clinical Services

Systems of care have been established all through various countries to address the needs of youth and children with severe emotional disorders as well as their families (Jacobs et al., 2007). It has been very vital in enhancing the delivery of care services to various communities at affordable costs. Besides, it has enabled children and youth to experience modest enhancements s in symptomatology and functioning.

Pros and Cons of System of Care

Pros

System of care drastically lowers costs as youth and children with mental problems won’t worry about the medication fees. This enables families that cannot manage to get the fees to attain equal service quality; this helps in safeguarding their human rights to care. System of Care helps youth and children to overcome the public stigma hence ensuring their social well-being, economic status as well as environmental justice by providing youth and children with mental problems get equal protection from environmental harm (Jacobs et al., 2007). Moreover, the system of care has played a significant role in saving thousands of lives as it helps it recognizing early symptoms and treat them accordingly.

Cons

Since the system of care is more of a free service, it can degrade the service quality; this is because once the care service becomes free, the number of patients will increase hence making physicians work day and night, this may interfere with proper diagnosis and hence poor service quality (Farmer et al., 2019). Besides, the system of care has made some people irresponsible; this is because people will ignore their health when financial incentives are offered. This may make people start having an unhealthy lifestyle.

Steps Taken as a Social Worker to Improve Outcomes for Youth or Reduce Barriers to Care

As a social worker, I would ensure that I enhance the outcome for the youth and minimize barriers to care by talking with various stakeholder concerning challenges they face as well as having a comprehensive strategic plan that ensures that both the present and future needs of youths are met by mitigating any potential barriers. I would also collaborate with various organizations and establish meaningful partnerships with youths and families, and handles their linguistic and cultural needs to assist them in working better both at home and school.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the system of care plays a vital role in ensuring the well-being of youth and children with mental problems. To effectively offer the system of care services to youth and children, children’s care agencies need to collaborate with other organizations to ensure the effective delivery of services to youth and children. Besides, various strategic measures should be taken to overcome potential barriers to the system of care service delivery.

References

DiClemente, C. C., Norwood, A. E. Q., Gregory, W. H., Travaglini, L., Graydon, M. M., & Corno, C. M. (2016). Consumer-centered, collaborative, and comprehensive care: The core essentials of a recovery-oriented system of care. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 27(2), 94-100. doi:10.1097/JAN.0000000000000120

Farmer, E. M. Z., Southerland, D., Mustillo, S. A., & Burns, B. J. (2009). Returning home in systems of care: Rates, predictors, and stability. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 17(3), 133-146. doi:10.1177/1063426608327002

Jacobs, A. K., Antman, E. M., Faxon, D. P., Gregory, T., & Solis, P. (2007). Development of systems of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients: Executive summary. Circulation, 116(2), 217-230. doi:10.1161/Circulationaha.107.184043

Nallamothu, B. K., Krumholz, H. M., Ko, D. T., LaBresh, K. A., Rathore, S., Roe, M. T., & Schwamm, L. (2007). Development of systems of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients: Gaps, barriers, and implications. Circulation, 116(2), e68. doi:10.1161/Circulationaha.107.184052