: The proposed study continues and expands a current study of an innovative, interdepartmental effort to coordinate various mental health services for children who are placed in the custody of the State. This new study represents a Public Academic Liaison (PAL) between the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) and the University of Tennessee. The intent of the proposed study is to examine the quality and outcomes of services provided to children in State custody by the Departments of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Human Services, Youth Development (corrections), Education, and Health and Environment following a second, major restructuring of the procedures used to provide services to these children. Approximately 2 years ago the State of Tennessee began an innovative 3 year pilot project. This project was labeled AIMS and was specifically designed to coordinate and improve services to children using case management teams. The principal investigators have completed the first 2 years of an NIMH-supported, 3 year study of the AIMS project. The State of Tennessee has now funded a second children's services coordination project, called the Children's Plan, to be implemented following the completion of the AIMS project. The Children's Plan is designed to expand and to improve upon the coordination efforts initiated by the AIMS project. Five important changes are planned. The target group will be broadened, each case management team will be expanded, changes will be made in the financing of care, case management teams will be given more autonomy. and the case management teams will have ongoing, direct contact with he child, parents, and custodial and service staff. These five changes will enable the proposed study to address four new objectives. The proposed study will examine the overall effect of the changes on the coordinating effort and on the quality of services provided to children. A substantially improved data collection and tracking system will be developed to provide quicker feedback on services and outcome variables. The proposed study will analyze the impact of case management team dynamics and culture on the effectiveness of the coordination effort. Also, the proposed study will assess and track a substantially larger sample of children to facilitate subsample analyses related to the effects of gender and ethnicity on the quality and outcomes of services.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter