Coordinated System of Care

Like many other states, Louisiana is responding to the current economic downturn and the resulting state financial crisis with systemic reform. The need for reform in the state is particularly significant due to a history of poor quality and a limited quantity of public funded behavioral health services. To address these issues, Louisiana has developed the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership which has lead to the submission of a number of waivers to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in March of 2011. These reforms will include expanding services to all Medicaid eligible children and adults, as well as, some services being available to Uninsured adults and children.

Eckerd’s focus in Central Louisiana (Region 7) will be with Coordinated System of Care (CSoC) which targets youth with significant behavioral health concerns who are at risk of
out-of-home placements. Two new types of agencies being developed to meet the needs of these youth and families are a Family Support Organization (FSO) and a Wraparound Agency (WAA). The FSO will be a family-driven organization that provides family peer support and education. The WAA will provide collaborative planning and intensive case management to ensure that appropriate services are in place to keep youth in the community. Neither the FSO nor the WAA can provide any direct services to prevent potential conflicts.

Eckerd’s CenLa Wraparound Agency has been chosen by the local community to provide wraparound services to this vulnerable population of youth and families throughout the eight parishes (Winn, Grant, La Salle, Catahoula, Concordia, Vernon, Rapides and Avoyelles) of Region 7. The SMO will identify youth as meeting the criteria for the CSoC and will reimburse the WAA with a per diem rate for each youth served. The WAA will use Wraparound Facilitators to coordinate Child and Family Team meetings to collaboratively develop a plan to address the youth and family’s needs. The Wraparound Facilitators will then work intensively with the youth, family, providers, natural supports and FSO to ensure that the youth is served in most appropriate and least restrictive manner.