System of Care Values

Dig a little deeper into the core values of Monroe County's System of Care.

These values weave through everything Monroe County ACCESS does and aspires to achieve throughout a System of Care in children’s mental health. After each definition there is an opportunity to go even further and get some examples of how these values can be put into practice at the system, organizational/agency, and at the individual practice levels. Where we have “real life” examples we share those with you too.

System of Care Values

Youth Guided

Defined as, young people having the right to be empowered, educated (on the issues), and given a decision-making role in the care of their own lives as well as the policies and procedures governing the care of all youth in the community, state, and nation.

Instead of viewing youth as simply “recipients of services”, youth are empowered (through education, skill-building and information) and given support to find their voice and express their ideas and opinions during the service planning process and throughout treatment. Youth, along with family members, define their goals and determine what “success means to them” in their treatment plan.

Youth are seen as current resources not as future assets.

*Family member – an individual who cares for or has cared for a child or youth with emotional, mental, and/or behavioral challenges.

Click here to see examples of the Youth Guided value in action.

Family Driven

Family-driven means families have a primary decision making role in the care of their own children as well as the policies and procedures governing care for all children in their community, state, tribe, territory and nation (source: National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health - http://www.ffcmh.org/family-driven/)

This includes:

Choosing culturally and linguistically competent supports, services, and providers;
Setting goals;
Designing, implementing and evaluating programs;
Monitoring outcomes; and
Partnering in funding decisions.

Monroe County’s System of Care for children’s mental health is moving from a traditional philosophy that placed the mental health provider and other service providers as the sole “experts” of a youth’s care and instead recognizes the inherent value and “professional” insights a family member* has with regard to what is “right” and “good” for their child and for their family when developing a service plan.

It also means that the family, along with the youth, has a voice in defining what the “successful” outcomes are for their child and family.

Trusting relationships between family members and service providers is seen as something that is built over time and is not a “given”. Respect for a family’s unique set of needs, their strengths, opinions, and beliefs is what roots the family driven value and is actively put into practice at the system, organizational and individual practice levels.

*Family member – an individual who cares for or has cared for a child or youth with emotional, mental, and/or behavioral challenges.

Click here to see examples of the Family Driven value in action.

Trauma Informed

Defined as, having a basic understanding of how trauma impacts the life of an individual seeking services. Trauma-informed systems, organizations, programs, and services are based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma survivors that traditional service delivery approaches may (unknowingly) aggravate, and seek to improve these services and programs so they can become more supportive and avoid re-traumatization.

Trauma-informed treatment programs generally recognize the survivor’s need to be respected, informed, connected, and have feelings of hope regarding their own recovery. There is also and understanding at all levels within a system of care that the interrelation between trauma and symptoms of trauma (e.g. substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, etc.) may not present (or be immediately obvious) at the time of intake (at assessment, time of service delivery, at a screening, etc…)

It recognizes the need to work in a collaborative way with family, youth, community, friends, and with human services agencies in a manner that will empower consumers.

Click here to see examples of the Trauma Informed value in action.

Cultural & Linguistic Competence (CLC)

Simply defined as a respect for and acceptance of difference in others. This includes but is not limited to the respect for and understanding of ethnic and racial groups, as well as their histories, beliefs, languages and value systems AND having (or building) the capacity to expand on this knowledge and integrate it into all areas – policies, organizational structures, staffing, interventions, financing, and evaluation of results.

CLC goes beyond ethnicity and race and encompasses almost all aspects of what makes us unique and uniquely human –

Religion
Geography
Language
Generation
Gender
Sexual Orientation (LGBTQI2-S)
Customs, values, beliefs, practices, ideas, thoughts, rituals, habits…

Where it used to be a “one size fits all” approach to interventions, therapies and treatments, an increased emphasis is placed on getting to know the youth and the family on a deeper level (building a trusting relationship) and within the context of their environment and their background. Essentially,and constantly reminding yourself that, “Not everyone wants to be treated like you!”

Learn more about the 5 Elements of CLC.

Click here to see examples of the Cultural & Linguistic Competence value in action.

Community Based

Defined as, having mental health and related services and supports based within the family’s neighborhood. This includes services and supports that might be considered “non traditional” services, like music lessons at a nearby neighbor’s home as a form of music therapy. Having services and supports in a family’s neighborhood recognizes the research that says, families/youth do better when they’re in a familiar environment.

Best Practice Oriented

Defined as, embracing and encouraging those practices which:

Are Strength-based
Are supported by an evidence base
Are emerging or promising practices
Promote organizational culture that supports best practices
Integrate Evaluation (not plural) and CQI…

Best practices help ensure a high quality of care that not only focuses on better youth and family outcomes but also looks at the process and infrastructure that get us there.

Being best practice oriented also means being proactive in searching for new and better ways of doing things AND sharing those findings or learning with the broader System of Care community, partners and stakeholders.

Another thing to keep in mind when implementing any best practice is to take the extra step of analyzing the evidence-based practice (or other best practices being considered) on its cultural competency and see how it measures up against the potential community and population. A best practice is at its best when it is reflective of the population it is serving.

Monroe County Access

SOC Values In Action