Molly Berkoff, MD, MPH, was instrumental in developing the recently released plan to address the crisis of children with complex behavioral health needs who come into the care of child welfare services.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently released Transforming Child Welfare and Family Well-Being Together: A Coordinated Action Plan for Better Outcomes. Molly Berkoff, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, and Medical Director for the Child Medical Evaluation Program, served on the Department’s Child Welfare and Family Well-Being Transformation Team, and was instrumental in developing the recently released plan to address the urgent crisis of children with complex behavioral health needs who come into the care of child welfare services.
The plan represents the work of a multi-sector team of stakeholders that is working to transform the way that the child welfare, behavioral health and other systems that support children and families work together.
Children in crisis who have come into the care of child welfare services require immediate protection in safe and supportive environments that can meet their physical and mental health care needs. Unfortunately, the number of children with these needs far exceeds the spaces and services available. NCDHHS convened the multi-sector Child Welfare and Family Well-being Transformation Team to develop prevention and treatment solutions to help every child and family experiencing adversity to cope, repair and heal. The Team includes leaders from across NCDHHS as well as stakeholders from hospitals, private agencies, Local Management Entities, county DSS offices, practitioners, attorneys, parents and those with lived experience. The Action Plan is the first in a series of proposed prevention, family stabilization and treatment solutions that the Transformation Team will recommend.