By Marion Karion, to the Fresno Bee on November 5, 2005
Fresno families have something to cheer about! The opening of the Assessment Center for Children at Exceptional Parents Unlimited (EPU) is the culmination of an unprecedented three-year community-wide planning process which focused on preventing the development of serious behavioral and mental health disorders in children in Fresno County through early identification and intervention.
The planning efforts were initiated and led by the Fresno County Department of Community Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division. The planning group included concerned individuals from education, juvenile justice, Children and Family Services, alcohol and drug programs, the pediatric and neonatal medicine community, Central Valley Regional Center, First 5 Fresno County, community-based organizations such as EPU and parents.
The central question on the minds of all participants in the planning process was: How can our community come together to address the increasingly large numbers of children whose social, emotional and developmental difficulties prevent them from success in school and in life?
Key concerns were the fragmentation of services and lack of coordination among the many agencies and professionals who touch the lives of vulnerable children and the limited results.
While at first glance, Fresno County appears to have a wealth of resources, the fact is otherwise for the population of the youngest children, who are at highest risk for behavioral, emotional and developmental challenges. Yet it is at this time of life that the greatest impact can be made. As a child learns to relate to the world through primary relationships with parents and other providers of care, the young brain is being molded for learning.
What was learned during the planning process was that while many agencies have mandated roles in serving children, they cannot fulfill their roles until children are brought to their attention through screening. Once concerns are identified, none of the agencies is mandated to provide a comprehensive assessment. What results are assessment and intervention services which tend to focus on a part of the child, with no one designated to bring together a complete picture of the child and develop comprehensive plans of care with the family and involved agencies.
Many infants and young children are falling through the cracks only to show up in school with developmental and behavioral issues which are magnified in severity and which could have been prevented or lessened with early intervention. Identifying children with developmental and behavioral difficulties at the earliest possible time makes it possible to intervene early when the greatest impact can be made on the developing brain. These lost opportunities take a great human toll and create challenges for families, schools and ultimately, even the juvenile justice system.
The planning efforts resulted in the creation of the “SMART Model of Care.” This model is community-based and is anchored by five core functions: screening, decision-making, assessment, referral and treatment. The functions of screening and decision-making and treatment are community-based and seek to identify and treat children in places where they meet providers of medical care, child care, education and social services.
The functions of assessment and referral occur at the Assessment Center. Extraordinary support and commitment are coming from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, First 5 Fresno County, Fresno Unified School District and Central Valley Regional Center.
True collaboration is difficult because it crosses bureaucracies, institutional cultures and legal mandates. It takes time and resources. Never before in Fresno County has collaboration embraced children and families at this level. The extraordinary determination and sense of urgency among leaders in our community have brought us through an extensive planning process, which has created a system of care with the potential of truly improving the lives of children at very early ages when the greatest impact can be made.
There is now one place in Fresno County for parents to take their children for a comprehensive assessment. Professionals from participating agencies are all located at EPU. Together they work to create a care plan tailored to each child's needs. Families or professionals concerned about a child's development may call 225-1102 for information and assistance.
We have taken the first baby steps, but many remain. Screening must become the standard of care for all who touch infants and young children in their daily lives. The capacity of providers of mental and behavioral health services for our youngest children must be enhanced. Resources need to be developed and re-directed toward preparing our community to become responsive and proactive in assuring that our children are able to emerge from childhood as healthy, happy and productive citizens.
Our children can't wait.
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