(Utica, NY – April 2013) Kids Oneida recently attended the 26th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research & Policy Conference in Tampa Florida and was recognized by the national Children’s Mental Health Network (CMHN) for their Return Home Early Project.
In response to sky rocketing out of home placement numbers and increased financial strain on Oneida County, Kids Oneida was identified as the lead agency tasked with independently assessing all children in institutional care. Kids Oneida identified children in placement that would benefit from intensive community based services in their home communities as opposed to a more restrictive level of care. These services, which already existed in the county, would serve as a less intense option for youth to continue their treatment once they have stabilized in out of home placement. This collaborative effort with the Oneida County Department of Social Services (OCDSS), Kids Oneida, placement facilities, families, school districts, and community partners was dubbed the Return Home Early Project.
After four plus years into its endeavor, The Return Home Early project has identified and returned 139 children from Oneida County that benefited from a discharge early from placement saving Oneida County over 14,000 days of care. The total number of children placed at the RTC and Group Home levels of care has decreased by 50% since the inception of the Return Home Early Project indicating a philosophical shift in the appropriateness of placement treatment versus community and home based services. The Return Home Early Project has provided an approximate $4.32 million in cost avoidance as a result.
In 2008, Kids Oneida, partnered with Herkimer County DSS to develop the Kids Herkimer program with the same mission as a result of the success of the program in Oneida County. With similar success, the Kids Herkimer program has been responsible for returning 39 kids home early by nearly 6,400 days amounting to net cost avoidance to tax payers of $1.6 million.
Children’s Mental Health Organization (CMHN) recognized Kids Oneida and the Return Home Early Project this past week in its weekly newsletter that is distributed to nationwide to mental health professions. Children’s Mental Health Organization (CMHN) is a national organization that highlights global trends in children’s mental health.
Kids Oneida is a unique home and community-based network that provides individualized and non-traditional services to the highest risk youth with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Kids Oneida strives to inspire HOPE in our children and families by empowering them to face life’s obstacles and keep their families together. Kids Oneida served over 800 families in 2012.