June 2, 2009

Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments For Children in State Care

Many children and youth in state care have behavioral and mental health needs that are not being addressed with appropriate services, states the Disability Workgroup of Florida Bar Foundation: Children's Legal Services Grantees in this document. Ascertaining the parameters of the problem and identifying appropriate services are the first two steps in making sure our children get needed care. The child welfare system has a great tool, called CBHAs, to assess need and recommend services. Unfortunately, it is a tool that is not always used at appropriate times or employed properly. State law requires that Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments (CBHA's) be done in all shelter cases and permits them to be done as often as once a fiscal year. The purpose of this brief by the Disability Workgroup of Florida Bar Foundation, Children's Legal Services Grantees, is to provide basic information on CBHAs so that all everyone in the child welfare system knows what it is, what it covers, how to obtain one, and how to use it.