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 Many Idaho children may need some type of help for emotional or behavioral disorders that affect their thinking, judgment, emotions, and behavior. A wide range of therapeutic, educational and social services is essential to address the needs of children with emotional and/or behavioral disorders and their families.
The State of Idaho applied for a cooperative agreement with the federal government to develop a system of care for the state, titled “Building On Each Other’s Strengths,” (BOEOS) in April 2002. The Governor identified the Department of Health and Welfare as the lead agency for the cooperative agreement, and IDHW contracted with the Idaho Child Welfare Research and Training Center to participate in the national evaluation of the program and to participate in the design and implement the local evaluation. To this end, ICWRTC provides a Research Director and contracts with up to seven half time Local Evaluation Specialists to support each service region. In addition, ICWRTC partners with IDHW to provide educational opportunities and training events such as the annual Children’s Mental Health Conference. 
Building on Each Other's Strengths Building on Each Other's Strengths bolsters work of the Idaho Council on Children's Mental Health and family advocates by bringing children with SED and their family members to the system of care as full partners from the beginning. They will be equally valued partners in the development, implementation, and sustainability of the system. Access to care, service planning, and support becomes adaptive to the changing cultural climate in Idaho through inclusion and relevant training. Information critical for guiding decisions on the effectiveness, efficiency, and priorities for resources is limited and scattered within multiple networks, and across several agencies. Building on Each Other's Strengths begins with the merger of children's mental health services information, care management, billing, and payment into a single Family Oriented Community User System. In addition, a statewide evaluation process (PDF), working in tandem with the national evaluation efforts, will provide outcomes data critical for effective benchmarking and identification of opportunities for continuous quality improvement. BOEOS National Evaluation Report- April 2008
Please Contact Us if you need assistance or additional information. Comments and suggestions regarding training and services are always welcome!
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