County Children’s Single Point of Access Connecting Families to Vital Community Resources By Katherine Alonge-Coons, LCSW-R, Commissioner of Mental Health, Rensselaer County Chair, NYS Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors
T
he New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors (CLMHD) is a statewide membership organization and NYSAC affiliate representing the Directors of Community Services (DCSs)/County Mental Health Commissioners for each of New York’s 57 counties and New York City.
C-SPOA cases along with clinics, supportive services providers in the community, and often the school district. The goal of C-SPOA is to identify child/family needs and access services that will enable the youth to remain in their home, school and community and avoid out of home placement and/or psychiatric hospitalizations.
Also known as the Local Governmental Unit (LGU), the DCS has a statutory authority and responsibility for oversight and cross-system management of the local mental hygiene system and develops, implements, and plans for services and supports for adults and children with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities.
Though the C-SPOA began as a Mental Health system process, each county’s C-SPOA has evolved its operations over time to adapt to changes in the community’s available services and to the children’s NYS Medicaid Managed Care Redesign transition. The LGU/C-SPOAs also provide service coordination for children who are not eligible for Medicaid coverage, allowing them to access services directly through the county.
Each county and borough in NYS operates a Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPOA) which is embedded in the LGU and operates under the authority of each county’s DCS. The C-SPOA program was created to operate as the name applies to establish a Single Point to assist children and families with complex needs in navigating and coordinating the process for obtaining care. The Departments of Mental Health, Social Services and Juvenile Probation are often involved in
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NYSAC News | Spring/Summer 2019
In order to meet a child’s specific individualized needs, C-SPOAs rely on their strong cross-system partnerships within the community. In the 1990s, several LGUs were awarded multi-year grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish Children’s Systems of Care (SOC) in their counties. SOC provides an evidence-based approach where communities connect and
