Welcome to the . . .
The Children's Plan
What is the Children's Plan?
The
Children’s Plan (pdf) is a Plan showcasing an understanding that family engagement, support and youth voice play essential roles in developing the emotional well-being of children. The federal Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) principles are embraced in the Plan to ensure that every aspect of this Plan is built from a foundation of strengthening and supporting families.
CASSP Core Principles
CASSP is based on a well-defined set of principles for mental health services for children and adolescents with or at risk of developing severe emotional disorders and their families. These principles are summarized in the following six core statements.
- Child-centered: Services meet the individual needs of the child, consider the child's family and community contexts, and are developmentally appropriate, strengths-based and child-specific.
- Family-focused: Services recognize that the family is the primary support system for the child and participates as a full partner in all stages of the decision-making and treatment planning process.
- Community-based: Whenever possible, services are delivered in the child's home community, drawing on formal and informal resources to promote the child's successful participation in the community.
- Multi-system: Services are planned in collaboration with all the child-serving systems involved in the child's life.
- Culturally competent: Services recognize and respect the behavior, ideas, attitudes, values, beliefs, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies and practices characteristic of the child's and family's ethnic group.
- Least restrictive/least intrusive: Services take place in settings that are the most appropriate and natural for the child and family and are the least restrictive and intrusive available to meet the needs of the child and family.
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Background and Current
Structure
The
Children’s Plan (pdf) was developed in October
2008 by nine Commissioners from child-serving agencies
in New York State, who each signed off on The
Plan and have committed to work towards supporting the
social and emotional needs of children and their families.
Deborah Benson, Executive Director of the NYS Council on
Children and Families, provides senior leadership for the
Children's Plan. In October 2009, Bill Przylucki was hired
as the Statewide Children's Plan Director at the Council
on Children and Families. Bill guides the implementation of the Children's Plan, coordinates the work of the Commissioner's Cross-systems Senior Staff Workgroup and reports directly to state agency commissioners.
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ENGAGE Communications
One of the most common themes communicated to the Council from local and regional staff is the need for better communication. This need has been addressed by implementing the following:
- Modifying and using the ENGAGE logo as a brand for the four related cross-systems initiatives:
- Creating the ENGAGE web portal page for easy access to the four ENGAGE initiatives with a URL of www.ENGAGE.ccf.state.ny.us.
- Creating the interactive ENGAGE mailbox at: ENGAGE@ccf.state.ny.us to facilitate an easy way for people to communicate with ENGAGE staff.
- Developing the ENGAGE e-Newsletter to keep interested parties informed about valuable up-to-date information on our cross-systems work. This e-mail service also allows us to easily create survey's to help us learn more about cross-systems issues.
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To learn more about the Children's Plan, please visit the Children's Plan FAQ page.
