Children & Youth Mental Health Services
Many children can experience difficulties as they grow from infancy through adolescence. These difficulties may cause behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, uncontrollable anger, and even suicidal thoughts or behaviors. In addition, some children need help after experiencing trauma in their lives, including grief and family disruption. Children are vulnerable to mental illness and have much to gain by receiving early intervention and adequate care when facing these struggles. An estimated one in 10 children and adolescents in the United States suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment. Early diagnosis and treatment of mental illness provides an opportunity for these children to grow up to be healthy, happy and productive adults.
The Children and Youth programs are based at the Helen Ross McNabb Children and Youth Centers in Knoxville and Morristown, Gateway Center in Louisville, Mountain View Youth Developmental Center in Dandridge, ChildNet Blount office, Healthy Families East Tennessee offices in Blount, Loudon, and Jefferson Counties and the Blount County Courthouse. These programs provide specialized evaluation and treatment for those with childhood problems related to biologically based disorders, learning disabilities, substance abuse and emotional, family, interpersonal, social, adjustment and personality factors.
Children and Youth Mental Health Programs include:
Integrated Services Team
The Integrated Services Team (IST) provides psychosocial assessments, case management, therapy and medication services to children ages 2 to 21 who have significant impairment in functioning related to a mental health diagnosis. The goal of the program is to improve the client's overall functioning and to help identify any barriers that compromise the client's emotional stability. Children and Youth IST clinics are located in Blount, Campbell, Cocke, Hamblen, Knox and Sevier counties with a staff comprised of bachelor-level care coordinators, master level therapist, registered nurses, and board certified prescribers.
Continuous Treatment Team
The Continuous Treatment Team (CTT) delivers intensive, comprehensive case management services to children and youth who are identified as seriously and persistently mentally ill in Knox, Blount and Sevier Counties. Services are delivered primarily in the home or other natural settings and emphasize a strong partnership with the family and other community support systems.
Comprehensive Child and Family Treatment
The Comprehensive Child and Family Treatment (CCFT) program is a high-intensity, time-limited service designed to: provide stabilization and deter the "imminent" risk of state custody for the child. The program also assists the child in state custody to maintain his/her status in the current placement and the least restrictive level of care. Children in the CCFT program are seen several times a week while services and supports are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The program primarily focuses on short-term goals with the intent to transfer the child/adolescent to services that will provide long-term stability. This program serves children and their families in Blount, Knox and Sevier.
Changes
Changes provides intensive case management services for children who are severely emotionally disturbed, have a mental health diagnosis and reside in Knox County. The program serves ages three to 21. The goals of the program are to reduce psychiatric hospitalization days, decrease crisis assistance and reduce juvenile court involvement. Services include individual, group and family counseling, medication monitoring and education. Liaison contact is provided with juvenile court, the Department of Children's Services, the school system and other agencies. Changes also provides around-the-clock crisis intervention. The program empowers the family to use support services while integrating successfully in the community. The program uses an ecological approach to treatment, focusing on the strengths of the family unit.
K-Town Youth Empowerment Network
Free wraparound services from K-Town Youth Empowerment Network are available to youth ages 14-21 with mental illness, as well as their families. Anyone can refer; youth 16 and over can refer themselves. Go to ktownyouthempowerment.org for eligibility details and referral form. K-Town Youth Empowerment Network is a partnership among Tennessee Department of Mental Health, Tennessee Voices for Children, Helen Ross McNabb Center and Centerstone Research Institute.
ChildNet East Tennessee
ChildNet East Tennessee is an innovative program for indigent, uninsured children ages two through 12 (in Campbell, Hamblen, Knox, Blount and Sevier counties) who are experiencing trauma, mental illness and/or behavioral problems. Children often have difficulty accessing care because of financial barriers or because their problems are not of a certain diagnosis. They are at risk of slipping through the cracks of the system, receiving no help until their illness becomes severe or they are placed in state custody. The goal of ChildNet is to provide counseling, behavior management and community support to these at-risk children before their situation becomes desperate.
Intellectual Developmental Disabilities
Intellectual Developmental Disabilities services furnish support for individuals dually-diagnosed with mental retardation or developmental disability and mental illness. These services are delivered through In-Home Intensive Case Management. The program's goal is to assist the child and his/her support system in identifying barriers to maintaining stability or to being maintained in the home environment.
Regional Intervention Program
The Regional Intervention Program (RIP) is an internationally recognized model for a behavior modification program for families with preschool-age children who may exhibit behavior such as tantrums or behavior that is overly active, withdrawn or aggressive. Parent participation is crucial in this program. RIP services include beginning behavior management training, advanced behavior management training, classroom programs that teach children social skills, child care, preschool intervention and follow-up services for families who complete the program.
Therapeutic Preschool
The Therapeutic Preschool Program serves children, ages two to six, who have been sexually, emotionally or physically abused or neglected. Children who have suffered major loss, experienced traumatic events or have emotional or behavioral difficulties related to abuse or trauma may also participate in the program. These children have special emotional requirements that many child care or school facilities are not equipped to accommodate and that place them at imminent risk for more restrictive placements. The Preschool provides cognitive and developmental stimulation, therapeutic behavioral treatment, nurturing, structure and help with basic skills. Parent participation is an integral part of the program. Parents learn to become more competent teachers for their children and learn to use effective and appropriate discipline.
Foster Care and Adoption Program
The Foster Care and Adoption program serves children in the custody of DCS ages birth through 21 years. These children have been removed from their families of origin due to abuse, neglect, unruliness or delinquency. The program recruits and trains caring, structured foster parents to help these children who enter custody with a multitude of problems and needs. Children can have mental illnesses, addictions, school issues, poor peer relationships, abandonment and trauma issues and developmental delays. Great care is taken to match these children with an appropriate family to provide the child with a positive family experience.
Juvenile Justice Services:
The Innerchange program serves youth ages 12-18 who are on probation and live in Knox County. Innerchange is a cooperative effort with the Knox County Juvenile Court. The goal of the program is to reduce court involvement and prevent custody to DCS by addressing the individual and family root causes that precipitated the youth's initial involvement in the court system.
Home Base is an intensive probation program for juvenile offenders ages 12 to 18 who are on "suspended commitment" (commitment to the state is suspended in lieu of participation in this program) to the Department of Children's Services. The program's goal is to improve and strengthen the family unit, which assists the youth to remain at home and in their community and avoid placement in state custody.
The Mountain View Services program provides mental health services to youth residing at Mountain View Youth Developmental Center in Dandridge, Tennessee. This developmental center is a 144-bed state-managed residential facility that serves youth who have been committed to the custody of the DCS following conviction of felony crimes. Youth are referred by case managers at the facility and then assessed to determine appropriate treatment services.
EXIT provides services to Knoxville and the surrounding 15 county East Tennessee region. The program is an intensive aftercare program for juvenile offenders committed to custody of the Department of Children's Services (DCS). The focus of the program is to help prevent a return to jail and to help ensure a successful reintegration into the community. EXIT counselors work with the youths and their families during and after incarceration and also with the DCS, Knox County Juvenile Court, local law enforcement and schools to enforce probation expectations and monitor compliance.
School-Based Services (Blount County):
The Blount County Bridges program works with students in a specialized behavior modification classroom in several Blount County schools. The program is designed to help students who were identified as having emotional and/or behavioral problems that interfered with their educational progress. Goals include the reduction of psychiatric hospitalization days, improved attendance and grades, increased communication and cooperation between home and school, less restrictive academic placements and reduction of juvenile court involvement and school suspensions.
The Helen Ross McNabb Center also provides a behavioral consultant to special education students in schools throughout Blount County. The counselor conducts functional behavior analysis and behavior support plans as requested by teachers, also serving as a consultant to teachers who work with special needs children.
