Catholic Community Services Family Behavioral Health Southend site is a licensed children’s mental health provider, serving youth from 5 through 17 years of age. CCS provides two main types of mental health services: short-term crisis services aimed at diverting youth from possible hospitalization when they present to an ED or a County Crisis Center, and longer-term intensive in-home services for youth with high ongoing needs. Our mission is to provide a community-based alternative for youth with mental health challenges and their families, allowing them to live safely in their homes and community and avoid institutional care whenever possible.

The youth we serve are often at risk of out-of-home placement due to the severity of their mental health or behavioral issues, and other providers with lower levels of care have been unsuccessful in meeting their needs. The intensive mental health treatment services we provide are designed to mitigate high-risk behaviors, promote skill development, decrease isolation by increasing connection to natural supports, maintain the youth’s school and home placements and work toward transition to sustainable lower-level services.  All of our services are provided in nontraditional settings, including the youth and family’s home, school, and other community-based settings.

What We Do

Crisis Stabilization/CATS (Crisis and Transition Services)

Our crisis services are short-term programs designed to stabilize youth experiencing a mental health crisis in the community. Youth in this program present to a metro area hospital Emergency Department or a County Crisis Walk-In Center in a mental health crisis that would otherwise potentially lead to hospitalization or sub-acute admittance. Youth with Medicaid through CareOregon/HealthShare CCO or Trillium CCO are eligible for Crisis Stabilization services, which can last up to 90 days. Youth with private insurance are eligible for CATS services, which are typically 45 days or less. Both services focus on assessing the youth’s needs and connecting them with an appropriate ongoing provider. These mobile crisis services are available 24/7. The responding therapist provides an assessment of the youth in collaboration with the family and determines if the youth’s needs can be safely served through intensive services provided in the home and community. Enrollment in these services provides the youth and family with immediate access to an array of individualized services including individual and family therapy, 24/7 phone and in-person crisis support, skills training (Medicaid only), peer support, and psychiatric medication management. The primary therapist works with the family to collaborate around the best ways to individualize and utilize these services to support the youth and family.

Intensive In-Home Services (CBIT and IIBHT)

We are currently contracted to provide Community-Based Intensive Treatment Services (CBIT) and Intensive In-Home Behavioral Health Treatment (IIBHT) services for youth with CareOregon/HealthShare CCO Medicaid, Trillium CCO Medicaid, and Moda Health Insurance. In both programs, each youth has a CCS team made up of a Child and Family Therapist, Family or Youth Partner, Skills Training staff, and our Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, who thoroughly assess each youth’s needs and strengths. The therapist works with the youth and family to form a collaborative Child and Family Team, including both natural and professional supports involved in the youth’s life.  We guide and support the youth and family in goal setting, strengths, and needs identification, brainstorming options and strategies, and making a plan with clear individual assignments to take action.  The therapist ensures family voice and ownership in plan development and decision making.  They also work to maintain a spirit of optimism and hopefulness, encouraging team members never to give up. Services typically last 6-9 months (though they can go longer), leading to greater stability, safety, and success in the community.

Family Search & Engagement

“Children need their families and families need their children.” Family Search and Engagement in the Portland office is a unique program that works with youth that have been identified as needing increased family connection, family information and/or natural supports. Youth can end up isolated or separated from family for a variety of reasons: adoption, involvement in the foster care system, divorce, residing in residential treatment, parental incarceration, parental deportation, etc. Through Family Search and Engagement, children and youth are able to learn about their family, build a more positive sense of identity, and form connections with safe family members. Sometimes Family Search and Engagement Specialists are reengaging known family members after a disconnect, and sometimes they are finding new family members that were previously unknown to the youth. The Family Search and Engagement Specialist then supports that (re)introduction process and works with the team to build the relationship to the level desired by the youth and family member. While occasionally youth do find placement as a result of the work, the primary focus is on building life-long, caring connections with family to support the youth through their transition into adulthood and beyond.

These services are currently available through two programs: youth who are involved with Wraparound Services through CareOregon can be referred by their Wraparound Coordinator, while Transition Age Youth (youth up to 24 years of age) can be referred by anyone, including self-referring, through funding from Oregon Health Authority (OHA). To make a referral, please email TawnyT@ccsww.org.