The number of Calvert County youth currently in out-of-home placements has remained fairly steady over the past several years. The former Local Coordination Council (LCC) and now LCT, along with the LMB, continues to play an active role in efforts to reduce the number of out-of-home placements. Calvert County has a limited number of available resources within the community, which can sometimes make it difficult to treat a youth in the community. Calvert’s LAM, the Family Access Center, plays a vital role in working with families to get them information and referrals to needed services.

In the years that Calvert County had access to CSI, Rehab Option, and the pilot Wraparound Program, the Agencies were more successful in preventing youth from going into a RTC placement. We are monitoring a trend that shows a gradual increase in the number of families who have entered into Voluntary Placement Agreements with DSS in order for their children to obtain services that are not covered by private insurance or the public schools.

Calvert County is working to sustain local wraparound service integration and identify resources available with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Local agencies have increased their efforts at collaboration and coordination of care. In FY15 Calvert County’s Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) chaired by the LMB’s Coordinator partnered with the LMB cohorts at St. Mary’s County and grant lead Charles County in an application for a 4 year SAMSHA grant to support expansion of early childhood mental health services in Southern Maryland, enhancing systems of care for the birth to age five population. Similarly Calvert County’s Core Services applied for grant funds to support family navigation for the 1950i population, focusing more on the population in need of intensive behavioral health services. Both grants received fund award notices and in FY16 there will be efforts to introduce the new frameworks and programs to the larger agency community. Also in FY 16 the Family Access Center is taking on the role of leading the Interagency Council for Families and Children – an interagency collaboration whose mission is to empower families to pursue continued learning and self-sufficiency with growing awareness of community services. The educational presentations and networking available from those meetings will enhance the Family Access Center’s list of available resources and navigation services.

• Tri-County Youth Services Bureau
• Calvert County Early Childhood Advisory Council
• Calvert County Mentoring Partnership
• Calvert County Interagency Council for Families & Children
• Local Care Team
• Calvert County Core Services Agency

• Local Access Mechanism - Systems of Care & Family Navigation
• YSB Youth Interventionist
• B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Early Childhood Systems of Care
• Mentoring

Calvert County has been a county that has had low incidence of out-of-home placements. Calvert County’s families must be stable in order for the county children and youth to thrive. All families should have services available to them to help them stay on the right track.

The number of out-of-home placements that occur per 1,000 children in the population.