Online Program

323947
Merging Two Systems of Care for Policy Change and Program Development: A Partnership Between American Indian Health and Family Services and the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.

Tina Louise, LMSW, American Indian Health & Family Services of Southeast Michigan, Inc., Detroit, MI
Amelia Mueller-Williams, MPH, MSW, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Sandra Momper, MSW, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Ashley Tuomi, DHSc, American Indian Health & Family Services of Southeast Michigan, Inc., Detroit, MI
Crystal Palmer, LMSW, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority, Detroit, MI
background:From 2007 to 2015, American Indian Health & Family Services (AIHFS) collaborated with the University of Michigan, the Intertribal Council of Michigan (ITCMI), and the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA) to build infrastructure for provision of cultural and linguistic competent (CLC) System of Care (SOC) services. This is a product of successive SAMHSA grants aimed at capacity building to be able to provide mental health (MH) services to underserved families with children with SED and/or AI/AN youth who are “out of balance and challenged by spiritual unrest.”

methods: 1) In 2008 AIHFS received a Circles of Care (COC) grant which involved a needs assessment of their present services. Through the creation of an advisory council, community input, professional development, skilled staff hiring AIHFS enhanced their ability to provide SOC services; 2) In 2011 AIHFS and the ITCMI received a SOC Planning Grant which prepared AIHFS for SOC implementation; and 3) In 2013 AIHFS and the DWMHA partnered and received an SOC Grant for implementation of services. We report on the process, the challenges encountered and overcome.

results/conclusions: We support a SOC that provides strategies to deliver/sustain SOC integrated MH health services in a CLC manner. Advisory councils provide input as well as youth and families. Agency-specific and inter-agency policies are being designed to ensure CLC-SOC functioning. While these grants focused on youth with SED, the result of infrastructure development is the provision of CLC training for service providers and CLC services for AI/AN and other underserved families/children.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Program planning
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Explain the process of infrastructure development to enhance mental health services and create a system of care for urban American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Describe the process of integrating Evidence Based Practice and Cultural Competency into an urban American Indian/Alaska Native agency and County mental health authority. Describe the process of using policy to promote infrastructure development and culturally competent services at an urban American Indian/Alaska Native agency and County mental health authority. Demonstrate the effectiveness of merging an urban American Indian/Alaska Native health center with a County authority to increase mental health services.

Keyword(s): Mental Health System, Cultural Competency

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am Dir of BH at AIHFS and Project Director or Assistant Director for three consecutive SAMHSA funded Systems of Care (SOC) projects aimed at capacity building to provide mental health (MH) services to underserved families with children with severe emotional disturbances and/or AI/AN youth who are “out of balance and challenged by spiritual unrest.” My public health research interest is developing strategies to deliver/sustain Culturally and Linguistically Competent SOC integrated community MH health services.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.