Congressionally Directed Spending Project to provide Comprehensive Community Services to provide therapeutic and clinical counseling services to youth. - Briarpatch Youth Services requests a one year $400,000 SAMHSA grant to plan, develop, and implement its Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) Program. The project will provide clinical and therapeutic counseling services to youth ages 12-17 who have runaway, are experiencing homelessness, have become involved in the justice system, or are otherwise facing challenges. Serving Dane County, Wisconsin, the project will serve approximately 60-75 youth annually when fully operational.
CCS is a State of Wisconsin program that is administered by each county in the state. It is an integrated behavioral health program for youth with severe emotional disturbance. The project will employ 5.1FTE employees during the 1-year start-up phase.
The goal of the project is to create a sustainable, fully functioning CCS program which will help youth with mental health concerns a) improve health, b) promote wellness, c) achieve personal goals, and d) enhance overall quality of life.
To accomplish this goal, the project will hire credentialed staff, develop policies and procedures, complete Dane County CCS provider enrollment, institute a data collection plan according to Dane County requirements, perform client outreach, and begin offering services. At the end of the project period, the CCS Program has a goal to be financially self-sustaining.
The program will offer services to promote: a) development of coping skills to manage the issues posed by mental illness, b) development of interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and assertiveness, c) identification of supports and advocating for those supports, d) therapy/counseling, e) management of medication, f) assistance in gaining and utilizing life skills, g) coordination of services to ensure the individual receives timely and appropriate care, and, h) referral for substance use disorder.
Briarpatch Youth Services is uniquely qualified to serve this youth population. Serving Dane County and metropolitan Madison, Wisconsin for more than 53 years, the agency offers a broad array of services to youth and their families. These services include: youth shelter, 24-hour help-line, individual, group, and family counseling, outreach, employment assistance, and restorative justice programming. The Comprehensive Community Services Program, will improve the depth and breadth of counseling services available at the agency, improving its clients’ long-term mental health outcomes.
