CWS provides behavioral health services to children and youth entering the dependency system. Referrals come from the Children and Family Services and all children receive a mental health screening for mental health services. Ventura County developed a way to enhance services for dependency children, families and caregivers. The coordination of services across agencies brings organizations and families together as a team working toward the best interest of the child.

AB 1299 PRESUMPTIVE TRANSFER OF MEDI-CAL FOR SPECIALTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES – FOSTER YOUTH

About Presumptive Transfer:

To provide youth in foster care, who are placed outside their counties original jurisdiction, access to Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) in a timely manner. Presumptive transfer means a prompt transfer of the responsibility for authorization, provision, and payment of SMHS from the county of original jurisdiction to the county in which the youth resides.

For Information and Services:

Please contact the Quality Management Program at 805-981-4295.
Presumptive transfer notifications can be sent by fax to 805-973-5190 or emailed to QM.UR@ventura.org

The Fillmore Community Project provides a variety of mental health treatment including support and case management services for underserved communities that are predominantly Latino, in the communities of Fillmore and Piru. These communities include a significant number of migrant workers and Spanish speakers. Services are community-based, culturally-competent, client- and family-driven, and designed to overcome the stigma and access barriers to services in these communities.

Ventura County Behavioral Health contracts with school districts, Ventura County Office of Education and Las Virgenes Unified School district in Los Angeles County to provide Educationally Related Social Emotional Services (ERSES) to students and their families county-wide. Services are designed using the students’ Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Children receive individual and group therapy in addition to family services to meet the social and emotional challenges impacting their school success. There is coordination of services with home-based community providers to ensure services are offered in the least restrictive environment. For information about ERSES please contact your local school district or school site administrator.

Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), in partnership with the Probation Agency, offers mental health services to juvenile offenders. VCBH oversees the mental health services at the Specialty Court Program. These specialty programs provide a school setting for high-risk youth with mental health and/or alcohol and other drug issues. The program serves as a bridge between VCBH, Ventura County Probation Agency and Juvenile Court.

TBS are individually tailored interventions designed to teach children and youth new skills to help them manage behaviors that, if unchecked, will result in out-of-home placement or psychiatric hospitalization. TBS is an ancillary service requested by a child’s mental health provider when other interventions have failed to adequately address extreme behaviors. Services are focused on working with the child, family, system, community agencies, and other professionals involved with the child and family.

Wraparound is a program which focuses intensive services on children with the goal of maintaining them in their own home and community. These are youth who would otherwise be placed in out-of-home care settings such as residential treatment programs, group homes, or short term residential therapeutic program. This goal is accomplished by bringing together a unique team comprised of professionals and individuals who know and care about the family. The Wraparound motto is doing “whatever it takes” to keep the child and family together safely. Referrals for Wraparound are made through Ventura County Probation Agency, Human Services Agency and Children and Family Services.

The CalWORKs Program is a partnership between Ventura County Behavioral Health and the Human Services Agency. This program targets the welfare to work population and works to eliminate barriers to self-sufficiency through offering behavioral health services. The CalWORKs clinicians provide assessment, counseling, case management, parenting classes, and support linkages to substance use treatment services. The CalWORKs unique collaborative process seeks to support employment and self-sufficiency through increasing access to services and decreasing the stigma of mental health services.

INSIGHTS was developed in response to the needs of a population of juvenile offenders who are diagnosed with severe emotional disturbances and, potentially, co-occurring substance use disorders who do not respond well to existing dispositional alternatives and often linger on probation or revolve in and out of custodial facilities and/or out-of-home placements. The program will utilize a multidisciplinary approach to provide intensive treatment and case management services to these youths. Through a collaborative process, coordinated services are offered to the youth/caregivers which may include comprehensive mental health services, substance use services, peer and parent support, and other county and community-based support resources.

A short-term residential program offered as part of the continuum of care for youth transferring from the Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and provides comprehensive clinical services to assist youth in gaining the stability and skills needed to safely return to the community. The goal of this program is to work collaboratively with the youth’s caregivers and community supports to create a sustainable plan for youth to return home safely. A multi-disciplinary team assists youth in gaining the necessary skills for managing challenging situations. Individual and family therapy, case management and psychiatric care are part of the youth’s structured treatment.