What's New at CBH
The Greater Williamsburg Child Assessment Center
Are you looking for help for your child's behavioral health
needs and do not know where to turn? You are not alone. In 2007,
the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation (WCHF) convened a
group of representatives from 17 community non-profit agencies to
address that same question. After a series of community dialogs the
WCHF created the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI),
whose mission is to strengthen behavioral health services for
children, adolescents, and their families in the Greater
Williamsburg region. What was determined from the dialogs is that
there is a lack of awareness of available community resources, as
well as a lack of communication and understanding of how to refer
children and their families to the resources.
In partnership with the WCHF, Colonial Behavioral Health
established the Greater Williamsburg Child Assessment Center
(GWCAC) and the GWCAC Network of Care website (www.gwcacnoc.org) to serve as a
single point of access to children's' behavioral health care
needs.
Launched on September 23, 2009, the GWCAC Network of Care website
hosts a service directory with over 470 community programs and
services ranging from behavioral health needs, to medical, housing,
financial and volunteer opportunities. The website also hosts a
community calendar that posts all area AA, NA, MA, Alateen, NAMI
and other support groups as well as child and family community
events. In addition the website features a library of over 30,000
health related articles, medication listings, symptom checkers and
much, much more.
The Greater Williamsburg Child Assessment Center opened its doors
six months later on March 23, 2010 providing behavioral health
assessment and referral services to children age 2-18 years old.
Provider choice is given to families based on the child's
identified treatment needs. In addition community supports are
offered to the families ranging from food/clothing/housing to
support and recreation groups. The goal of the GWCAC is to instill
a sense of hope for families in meeting their child's and families
individualized needs, whatever they may be. After two and half
years of operation, the GWCAC has received over 1,300 calls for
assessment and information and provided over 571 assessments.
Through community partnerships with local pediatricians, school
systems, departments of social services and other community
agencies, the GWCAC has provided a valuable service in linking
children and their families with appropriate community behavioral
health services and supports. If you or someone you know could
benefit from these services, please call us at (757)
253-4047.
Leigh Carroll-Stump has over 15 years' experience working in community mental health and was hired as the GWCAC Coordinator in October 2008 to oversee the development and implementation of the GWCAC and the GWCAC Network of Care Website on behalf of the CBHI. Over the past 3.5 years, Leigh has been fortunate to see the community come together to form the CBHI Advisory Group; and come to a collective understanding of the need for developing a system of care in which a greater awareness of available services and an increase in communication and collaboration amongst partnering agencies is achieved to best serve the children and families of our communities.