CFGC Case for Support

A CASE FOR SUPPORT | 2021-2022

THE ROAD AHEAD 1. Our Case for Support 2. Increasing Mental Health Access 3. Cost of Outpatient Mental Healthcare

THE CASE FOR SUPPORT ACCURATE | CURRENT | URGENT

01 History The story of CFGC | A community first mental healthcare provider

History

Established in 1962 The Child and Family Guidance Center’s (CFGC) history began 59 years ago at a time when community based mental healthcare did not exist in the San Fernando Valley. In 1962, The Mental Health Association and a group of dedicated volunteers opened the doors of the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic to a waiting list of several hundred children and a professional staff of three. Since then CFGC has expanded in size, range and location of services. In 1972, CFGC opened Northpoint, a non-public school, for children with emotional and behavior problems too severe to be served by special education programs in the public schools. Services were expanded to the Antelope Valley in 1986 at the request of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) due to the level of unmet need in that area. In 1989, the organization’s name was changed to Child and Family Guidance Center to better reflect its expanded scope of services.

02 Mission Statement Our mission is to empower children and families to achieve health and wellbeing through innovative mental health services and community programs.

03 Vision Statement We envision children and families flourishing in vibrant communities.

04 Our Values Integrity | Quality | Commitment | Innovation | Resiliency

Our Values

The following are the main organizational values

by which the CFGC operates:

INTEGRITY: We are honest, forthcoming, and transparent in all our operations, accepting personal responsibility for our decisions and actions.

INNOVATION: We constantly explore new ideas and models to improve our services to clients and adapt to the changing needs of our community.

QUALITY: We provide high quality care, and continuously monitor the success of our services and operations through ongoing measurement and evaluation.

RESILIENCY: We recognize all individuals possess unique talents, skills, and experiences that provide a positive foundation for resolving challenges and building self-reliance.

COMMITMENT: We are passionate about helping others, promoting wellness, and taking timely action to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

05 Our Programs and

Services What we do

Our Programs and

Services CFGC provides a comprehensive continuum of mental healthcare, outreach and community-based services to more than 10,000 children and their families annually utilizing nationally recognized evidence-based approaches. Services include individual, family, and group therapy.

We also offer a full range of adjunctive services including intensive case management; Therapeutic Behavioral Services (intensive field based behavior interventions targeting high risk behaviors); psychiatric evaluation and medication management; psychological testing; crisis intervention; parenting; rehabilitative skill building; recreation therapy; and substance abuse rehabilitation services. CFGC has specialized programs for trauma and foster youth; infancy and early childhood; juvenile justice-involved youth; and substance abuse.

06 Our Community

Outreach/Resources

Our Community

Outreach/Resources CFGC has developed and operated a state-of-the-art community resource services division for more than 25 years, providing linkage to affordable community-based support. Resources include medical care, mental healthcare and counseling; vocational opportunities, housing, and food assistance for families in need.

Our Skills Training programs raise awareness of suicide risk and empower individuals to take action and increase early recognition of mental health problems among youth. CFGC also has a strong presence on social media and circulates CFGC tips, an electronic weekly publication that includes articles on children’s mental health, important resources, and tips for parents.

07 Our Locations Services are provided from CFGC offices in North Hills, Northridge, Van Nuys, and Palmdale; on the campuses of more than 50 public schools in the San Fernando and Antelope Valleys; at medical care sites; on the campus of Head Start centers; and via telehealth technologies in private homes.

08 Our Constituency Annually, CFGC provides mental healthcare, outreach and community-based services to more than 10,000 children and their families.

Our Constituency Continued:

CFGC serves families that live in the highest poverty areas and/or with the greatest mental health needs in the San Fernando and Antelope Valleys. Our community is ethnically diverse. Spanish is the most frequently spoken language after English.

INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS CLEAR | SPECIFIC | COMPELLING

09 What Is The Problem?

Children and youth, birth to age 26, and their parents with critical mental healthcare needs lack access to care resulting in increased risk of serious mental health problems, substance abuse, and chronic health issues.

3 out of 4 children with mental health needs do not have access services.

Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Parents and children, in numerous households, commonly suffer needlessly from preventable mental

health disorders and fail to receive the comprehensive services and supports required to live a healthy

life. Untreated mental health challenges lead to an increase in school drop-out rates, suicide rates,

substance use rates and premature death causing substantial impairment in functioning at home, school,

and/or in the community.

10 What Is CFGC's Solution?

CFGC assists children and families with unmet mental healthcare needs in gaining access to critical care by engaging in the following:

Identify | Engage | Access We IDENTIFY children and families in our service area who have unmet mental healthcare needs.

We ENGAGE children and families in need of care through education and community-based services that promote mental health and wellness.

We provide ACCESS to mental health services integrated with primary medical care to families who are alone and overwhelmed with the day-to-day challenges of managing impeding mental, behavioral and emotional issues.

11 How CFGC Effects Change?

Removing Barriers

CFGC aims to eliminate barriers to mental healthcare access and improve children’s health outcomes and foster resiliency.

12 Without CFGC Mental Healthcare Services Children and families who do not gain access to the mental healthcare will suffer poor overall health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy.

When Needs Are Unmet When the mental healthcare needs of children are unmet, we see a higher rate of substance use, involvement in the juvenile justice system, an increase in psychiatric hospitalizations and an increase in suicide rates.

13 How Is CFGC Uniquely

Qualified?

CFGC is equipped to identify, engage and help children and families

gain access to care thanks to our staff of more than 400

experienced multi-disciplinary professionals.

Multi-Disciplinary Expertise CFGC is uniquely qualified to identify children and families in need of mental healthcare services because of our collaborative and inclusive field-based community outreach models. We have a long history of providing care at more than 50 school sites, in families’ homes, and in partnership with social service agencies and medical providers.

CFGC's staff specialize in an array of ground-breaking, culturally sensitive services.

These services integrate mental health and medical care utilizing advanced technologies, evidence-based modalities, and state-of-the-art best practices with measurable results.

14 What Does CFGC Need

To Be Successful?

To be successful CFGC needs community stakeholders, inclusive open

facilities, and advanced tools.

Resources Required STRATEGIC PARTNERS: Individuals, organizations, law enforcement, agencies and

medical providers who can help us to identify, engage and help children and their

families gain access to care.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES: The facilities to provide a full spectrum of

resources to children and families in an inviting, engaging community of care.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Access to technology and tools to engage and foster

open pathways to care.

15 How Will CFGC Utilize Support?

CFGC will prioritize funding to identify and engage children and families

to gain access to mental healthcare.

Return on Investment CFGC WILL UTILIZE PRIVATE FUNDS TO: Provide mental health and wellness education to youth, parents, families, communities, agencies and health professionals.

Increase outreach to inform and empower members of the community to become advocates on behalf of children’s mental health.

Expand community-based services to ensure that treatment is available in a timely and convenient location for all those who seek services.

16 How Can Stakeholders Support CFGC? Community members can advocate, invest and connect in helping

children and families access care.

Cost of Access CFGC STAKEHOLDERS CAN HELP MORE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN OUR REGION GAIN ACCESS TO CARE BY CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS: $50,000 Funds one life-saving Teen Mental Health First Aid training course to help 1,000 adolescents identify and respond to the signs of a mental health or substance use problem in a peer. $25,000 Covers the cost of new technological tools to support effective community education, increasing mental health awareness and improving access to care.

$10,000 Pays for training materials to teach parents, caregivers, teachers, and other community members how to identify and help youth experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. $5,000 Provides one half-day safeTALK Suicide Prevention workshop to help members of your community to identify people with thoughts of suicide and connect them with life-saving first aid resources.

$1,000 Helps keep vital mental health information like our Parent Education Resource Directory free to the community.

WWW.CHILDGUIDANCE.ORG/GIVE