an overview georgia program improvement plan - Department of ...

care mental health treatment options. These Committees had representation from DFCS, DMHDDAD, DJJ, and DOE. These local
initiatives were enlarged to incorporate a State Committee in the early 1980’s and then replicated in additional counties across the
State. In 1990, the names changed to Multi-Agency Teams for Children (MATCH). Currently in addition to the State Team, (now
known as the State Level of Care Committee) there are more than 120 local interagency teams across Georgia. The purpose of these
interagency committees from inception to the present day is to assess the needs of children with serious mental health needs and
identify appropriate treatment resources. Continuing interagency collaboration was ensured through the Georgia General Assembly’s
passage of HB 560 in 1990. Section 49-5-220 (a) (6) states the General Assembly’s intent to: “Develop a coordinated system of care
so that children and adolescents with a severe emotional disturbance and their families will receive appropriate educational,
nonresidential and residential mental health services and support services as prescribed in an individualized plan”. Section 49-5-221
(7) defines local interagency teams as “committees with multi-agency representation that are established at the local level to staff
cases and review decisions about appropriate treatment or placement of children or adolescents experiencing severe emotional
disturbance. Existing troubled children’s committees may serve as local interagency committees”. DFCS policy on the use of multiagency
teams to assist in the assessment of children’s mental health needs can be found in the Foster Care Manual, Section 1005.
(This Section is currently being rewritten to reflect the new LOC policy and procedure.)
Another multi-agency initiative can be found in the FPBP process. As noted in the 6 th Quarter Report, Standards for the First
Placement Best Placement Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment were updated and sent to the field. (Social Services Manual
Transmittal No.2004-02, Dated 1/25/04.) In that policy material, Section X outlines Standards for the Multi-Disciplinary Team and
describes participants to be included from the disciplines of Education, Medical/Psychological, Court, and Mental Health.
Taking into consideration the local and state interagency teams designed to review treatment decisions for children and adolescents
and the multi-disciplinary teams to review FPBP assessment recommendations, the State believes it has met the benchmark of the
development and implementation of a protocol for sharing information.
8 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION: House Bill 560
BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT:
The legal and HIPAA implications of sharing information across agencies needs to be explored. Issues of confidentiality, releases of
information and similar matters is being discussed with the legal teams of each agency.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO OVERCOME THIS BARRIER, OR RESOVLED THIS BARRIER?
3 rd Quarter Federal Response: Respond to above question.
Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
November, 2004 Quarter 8 – Work Plan O Page 7