Community Collaboratives (formerly known as the Systems of Care) are local consortiums of public and private healthcare providers, parents of children with behavioral health needs and service and education agencies that have organized to develop coordinated comprehensive community resources for children or youth with complex behavioral health service needs and their families in accordance with principles and goals of Connecticut Community KidCare.
Community Collaboratives serve children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral or mental health needs that substantially impair their functioning within the family, school or community. Children and families do not have to be involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to be eligible for Collaborative services.
Community Collaboratives coordinate a comprehensive array of mental health and other related services. They are organized to meet the multiple and changing needs of children and adolescents with a serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families. They aim to provide individualized services to keep a child in his home and in the community as much as possible. There are currently 25 Community Collaboratives throughout Connecticut, all in various stages of development.
Families and children served by a Community Collaborative have available the services of a Family Advocate for support, education and advocacy, and a Care Coordinator for service coordination and case management.
To access the Collaborative in your area, or for more information, please contact your local Care Coordinator or Family Advocate.
Families United for Children's Mental Health
A Federation of Families Chapter in Connecticut
systems of care
