Community Action Team (CAT)
The CAT program provides intense behavioral health care services to youth where traditional interventions have been unsuccessful. We began offering the program in 2013 as part of a pilot program in Florida.
The team provides family-centered services which are individualized according to the strengths and needs of each youth and family. The overall goal is to support and sustain youth within the family system, in the community and in school. Social service supports are integrated with behavioral, trauma and substance abuse interventions. Medical staff provides psychiatric care and basic health status checks, and works with the family to maintain medical records and linkages to community health care practitioners. The whole family is embraced in care and family commitment and participation is essential and expected.
The program is open to youth ages 11 to 21 who meet two or more of the following criteria:
- Are at risk for out-of-home placement;
- Have had repeated psychiatric hospitalizations or outpatient treatment failures;
- Have been involved with the Department of Juvenile Justice or multiple episodes involving law enforcement;
- Poor academic performance, multiple suspensions or school “drop-outs”.
Program goals:
- Improve school related outcomes, such as attendance, grades and graduation rates
- Decrease out-of-home placements
- Improve family/youth functioning
- Decrease substance use/abuse
- Decrease psychiatric hospitalizations
- Transition into age appropriate services
- Increase health and wellness
For more information, please contact James Weaver at jweaver@lmccares.org or 522-4485, ext. 8443.