By: Gretchen Behimer, Project Director, Clermont FAST TRAC
Welcome to our first FAST TRAC newsletter! We hope that you find our newsletter informative and please let us know what questions you may have or what you might like to see in a future issue.
Let me start out by answering the question, “What is a System of Care?” A System of Care is a philosophy of how services should be delivered. The FAST TRAC System of Care strives to provide services that are:
– Family-driven – we have family members as partners at the table and family members have a voice in the care and services that their youth and family receive.
– Youth-guided – youth are participating in the decision-making process, when age-appropriate, and have a voice in the care and services that they receive.
– Individualized – each family is different and has their own unique strengths and needs. FAST TRAC realizes this and develops plans with youth/families that take into consideration each youth/family’s needs.
– Natural supports – FAST TRAC works to help youth/families identify and/or build supports in the community. Natural supports might be an aunt, a coach, the person who cuts your hair, or a book club, just to name a few examples. These are supports that will be there for a youth/family when formal supports, like a therapist, are no longer involved.
– Collaborative – FAST TRAC believes that we should work cooperatively and as a team. We should each share responsibility.
– Community-based – whenever possible, services and supports should be provided in the community in which we live.
– Culturally and linguistically competent – every family has a culture. Culture is not only our race or ethnicity or religion, but it is how we were raised, our beliefs. FAST TRAC respects the culture of every youth/family and works to understand the beliefs and values of each youth/family to support them in the most appropriate way and to develop the best individualized plan.
– Strength-based – every youth/family has strengths. FAST TRAC identifies those strengths and builds on them to support youth/families in achieving their goals.
– Least restrictive care – children/youth should always be in the least restrictive environment to meet their needs, which is clinically appropriate.
In upcoming issues, we’ll be highlighting services and supports that are available in Clermont County to eligible youth and families. Since wraparound is typically a major component of any community’s System of Care, I’d like to share a little bit about the FAST TRAC wraparound program (provided through Clermont County Family & Children First) with you.
