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Greetings!
While summer is in full swing and many are taking time off to enjoy the beautiful weather, the cross-systems work in New York State is continuing with a very high level of enthusiasm from all of our partners.
Many of you are familiar with the Children's Cabinet. The Children's Cabinet is cross-systems in nature and was initially established to advise and make recommendations to the Governor on his Birth to Five Agenda. Since its formation, the Children's Cabinet has facilitated a significant expansion of health insurance coverage for children and a substantial increase in the number of pre-kindergarten programs in New York. With these accomplishments well underway, the Children's Cabinet shifted it's focus to older youth who face significant challenges that may lead to them becoming disconnected from school and work. The Children's Cabinet recently released a Report of Accomplishments and Recommendations that we thought you might find of interest.
While we are talking about accomplishments, one current cross-systems initiative involving the state's child-serving agencies that is having an immediate impact on the lives of children, families, schools and communities in three areas of New York State, is known as Promise Zones. Click here to learn more about this exciting pilot effort based on nationally recognized practices for school success. |
Meet our New Regional Partners
In creasing the Youth Voice on All Levels
of Youth Service
The NYS Children's Plan includes the goal to "create infrastructures and funding mechanisms to support meaningful family and youth participation in planning and policy making and the improvement of service systems at the provider, local and state levels." To achieve this goal the NYS Office of Mental Health funds YOUTH POWER! to enhance their statewide structure through regional cross-systems youth peer positions. Four of the five Regional Youth Partners have been hired. YOUTH POWER! is still seeking applicants for the Western New York region. |
Cross-systems Training on the Rise
Division of Advocacy and Outreach - Training Database
 The Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD) - Division of Advocacy and Outreach - maintains a training database. In 2009, the Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives began including CQCAPD training announcements in their EFocus and EYASI newsletters. Since that time, 167 probation officers have received the "Start to Finish: Steps to Successful Special Education Services" training. The cross-systems initiatives show a steady growth in attendance due to consistent inclusion of announcements in each newsletter. This is a desired outcome of the Children's Plan. For more information on this cross-agency initiative, please contact either Patti Donohue of OPCA, or Jo Fenton at CQCAPD. |
myBenefits.ny.gov
Learn and Apply for Health and Human Services Programs
 The myBenefits website is a powerful resource for New Yorkers to check their eligibility and apply for public benefits. This website provides a pre-screening tool, the ability to apply for certain benefits online, as well as check and benefit accounts and online application status. The pre-screening tool allows people who live in New York State to find out if they might be able to receive: - help with buying food;
- temporary (cash) assistance (TA);
- special tax credits;
- home energy assistance;
- various health insurance program benefits;
- WIC - Women, Infants and Children and school meal benefits; and
- Prescription drug discounts.
To learn more about the myBenefits website, watch this short tutorial. Related Story...
FREE Training for Nonprofits The NYS Community Action Association recently announced FREE training for nonprofits to help raise awareness of the range of public benefits available to struggling New Yorkers. This training series is being done in partnership with the Empire Justice Center, Nutrition Consortium of NYS, Chautauqua Opportunities, and Single Stop USA. NYSCAA recently received a grant from the NYS Department of State to develop this day-long training to familiarize staff on the range of public benefits available to struggling families as well as the online tool www.mybenefits.ny.gov, developed by the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The funding for this project comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the Community Services Block Grant. The training is FREE and would be useful for any staff that work with customers. The training runs 9:30-4:30 in most places and in some locations will go 10:00-5:00 with a pizza lunch provided. All participants will receive a training binder that includes the Helping Hands Tool Kit. Click here to learn more. Please pre-register for the training. If registering a group, you can e-mail a list to dharlow@nyscommunityaction.org. |
$30 Million in Grants to Support Behavioral Health Care Services
August 10, 2010 Deadline
 This competitive grant opportunity will promote the mental health of all New Yorkers with a particular with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults and children with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances.
This funding was approved by the Legislature as part of the state budget and will be administered by the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Dormitory Authority as part of the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers ( HEAL NY), which focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system. Applications are due August 10. Details of the Request for Grant Applications are posted at: http://www.nyhealth.gov/funding/. |
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Clinic Plus-Probation Joint Initiative
OPCA and OMH Partner to Facilitate Mental Health Evaluations
 Data obtained from the Statewide Youth Assessment Screening Instrument (YASI) indicates 13-18 percent of PINS and JD youth show indications of substance abuse issues, and 45% of PINS and JD youth show indications of being at risk of recidivism due to mental health issues. As an outgrowth of the Children's Plan, and to address these staggering numbers, the NYS Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives (OPCA) and the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) have partnered to provide designated Clinic Plus providers with additional resources that make it possible for mental health staff to be on site at probation departments to provide immediate screening of youth who score high in the YASI mental health domain. The Clinic Plus-Probation joint initiative facilitates timely access to mental health evaluations for youth where the YASI full assessment indicates a high need for assessment and possible treatment referral, and also provides consultation as needed to juvenile probation staff regarding youth mental health issues and social emotional development. Counties identified at this time include: Monroe, Onondaga, Niagara, and Albany. Interested counties must have a licensed Clinic Plus provider and YASI data which supports the need for an on-site mental health provider. For more information, contact Patti Donohue by e-mail, or phone at: (518) 485-5160. |
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There are a lot of exciting joint initiatives underway and we thank you for your interest in these cross-systems workings. Again, we welcome your ideas, and if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please e-mail us any time at engage@ccf.state.ny.us.
Sincerely, |
Bill Przylucki
Director, NYS Children's Plan
Brooke Schewe
Statewide Systems of Care Director
The ENGAGE Newsletter is an information sharing service. Information presented in this newsletter is not all inclusive and does not imply endorsement of any particular methodology or program. |
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