Supporting Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)

The Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) is grounded in the understanding that all youth served by the foster care system need, deserve, and have an ability to be part of a loving family, and not to grow up in a congregate setting. To support that goal the CCR is dedicated to meeting the range of services for youth in foster care with intellectual and or developmental disabilities and mental health needs.

This website shares resources and tools available to support effective care. The CCR presumes that by working together across systems and agencies we are better able to understand and meet the needs of communities, families, and youth.

Meeting the needs of foster youth with intellectual and or developmental disabilities, mental health and specialized needs requires coordinated interagency teamwork.  To address the need for coordinated interagency work, the State is implementing the System of Care in all counties and fostering enhanced connections for State agencies. That System of Care effort is built on the State’s Integrated Core Practice Model (ICPM). The ICPM contains practices, values, and principles which, when used consistently by system partners and community providers, leads to better care and enhanced coordination of services.

CASE CONSULTATIONS

Do you need support for a youth with I/DD that is expressing distressed or challenging behaviors that may impact their stability? 

Does the Child and Family Team (CFT) want to stabilize and preserve placement for the youth in a family-based setting or
Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP)?

Is a youth in your caseload in need of recommendations for
 psychiatric treatment or intervention?

If any of the above situations apply, the CDSS System of Care Branch is offering fully funded case consultations for youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) with the following clinical specialists:

  1. Dr. Haleigh Scott, a clinical psychologist in trauma-informed treatments and interventions, for those working with youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). 
  2. UC Davis Health TEAM Program, a comprehensive outpatient program at the UC Davis School of Medicine for youth with developmental disorders and psychiatric comorbidity, led by Dr. Anu Gupta, M.D., and Dr. Olivia Contreras, PsyD. 

As soon as you identify a need, help is available for counties/probation departments, STRTPs, Temporary Shelter Care Facilities (TSCFs), resource families, and all other system partners.

Youth should meet the following criteria to qualify:

  1. Current and former foster youth, or youth at risk of entering the foster care system.
  2. Neurodevelopmental disorder or traumatic brain injury (TBI) with mild to severe trauma, mental illness or complex and impactful behaviors. In need of behavioral and/or psychiatric intervention.
  3. Youth ages 3 and above, including transitional aged youth.

To request support, contact the CDSS with subject line “Case Consultation Referral” at CCR@dss.ca.gov.

For commonly asked questions and more information on case consultations see the links below:

Q & A Case Consultations
Dr. Scott flyer
UCD TEAM flyer
Case Consultations flyer

TRAININGS

Training Announcements!

Past Trainings

See “Addressing the Needs of Foster Youth with IDD” Former Statewide Trainings Kickoff Webinar Hosted by CDSS with Dr. Haleigh Scott.

Watch Kickoff Recordings Here

 

SYSTEM OF CARE RESOURCES

As a resource to state, county, and local staff, the system profiles below provide an overview of the services offered by our various systems that all serve children and youth with I/DD.

This is the compendium of resources available to children and youth served by our various systems. The System of Care, Assembly Bill 2083, system profile links below outline how eligibility is determined, what the denial appeal processes entail, how the system interacts with other systems or programs, how information is shared, and how referrals are made.

System Profile Links:

DISCLAIMER

The CDSS is not responsible for the content of any outside sites through any external links provided and such links are not an endorsement of the external site as to its quality, accuracy or completeness in any other way.