Child-Adolescent Services Division (CASD):

Vision:  

We envision a community that enhances the system of care philosophy and core values which are: person-centered, family driven, culturally responsible, and strength, and community based.  (P.L. 25-141).

Mission:  

To provide the highest standard of care and strengthen our island community by enhancing every person’s emotional and behavioral health through evidence-based practices that is person centered and culturally responsible.

CASD-I’Famagu’on-ta provide integrated, community-based outpatient services for children-adolescents who are high risk and those with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. Services are to include care-coordination or wraparound, individual, group, and family counseling, training and support, home-based services, 24-hour crisis hotline via GBHWC hotline #647-8833/34. Transition-placement service, linkage and referral to other mental health related services in the community. Provide education and awareness outreach for early identification, prevention and intervention services.

Goals:

CASD through the creation of the I’Famagu’on-ta program in 2003 has adopted the System of Care philosophy and wraparound approach in its service planning, implementation and service delivery.  This framework is built on the following Core Values and Guiding Principles: child-centered, youth guided and family driven, strengths and community based, and culturally competent.  The System of Care Guiding Principles are:  access to a comprehensive array of services, individualized services using a wraparound approach, services in the least restrictive environment, full family participation, integrated services, care coordination, early identification and intervention, smooth transitions, protection of the child’s rights, non-discrimination and cultural appropriateness. CASD/I Famagu’on-ta work in collaboration with public, private, faith based child-serving agencies, the family and natural support systems, organize in a coordinated network providing comprehensive array of mental health and related services for the treatment of children-adolescents who are high risk and those with severe emotional disturbances and their families. 
 
TOP PRIORITIES: 

A. SYSTEMS OF CARE and WRAPAROUND APPROACH:

Goal: To continue to support, strengthen, expand, and sustain a System of Care for Guam’s children from birth to age 21 through community–agency partnership and family involvement at all levels for the prevention of out of home and off-island placement, providing array of mental health and related services allowing for the changing needs of the child and family through-out treatment, transitioning from youth to adult services, and providing supportive services to strengthen family life. 

Objective:  Develop collaborative partnership with families, agencies and community stakeholders to sustain a system of care for children, adolescents and their families.
 
B. OUTPATIENT SERVICES:
 
Goal: To provide Outpatient Mental Health Services to children, adolescents and their families in the area of Intake and Emergency and Crisis Assessment and Intervention, Early Mental Health Screening and Identification, Public Education and Awareness, Counseling and Referral Services. Additionally, there are special projects to supplement the services and to enhance family life such as the Annual Christmas Cheer for Families and the Art of Healing project for Children and Adolescents, and other creative art activities and projects. 

Objective: To support, empower and strengthen child and family ties by making these mental health services accessible to not only children/adolescents with severe and complex mental health needs and their families, but to all children and adolescents that may be at risk and in need of mental health services.

IMPACT STATEMENT:

The services, which CASD provides shall in time reduce if not eliminate off-island placement for children-adolescents with severe emotional disturbances. It shall also reduce inpatient admission in any restrictive care facility. It shall reduce the number of admissions into the Department of Youth Affairs (DYA), Child Protective Services (CPS) as well as reduce the number of Juvenile Court Cases.
 
 It shall instead increase the number of youth staying and completing high school and going on to higher education, both academic and vocational, and increase the number of independent and employed young adults. Overall, it shall increase the self-esteem and self-confidence of children-adolescents, produce happy and productive youth and keep families intact.