State Adolescent Coordination Grant (SAC) Workforce Development Project Accomplishments, 2005–2009

1. State Adolescent Coordination Grant (SAC) Workforce Development ProjectAccomplishments, 2005–2009 Presented at JMATE Conference | 12/14/10by Yomi Makanjuola, MS, CAC-II CCS State Adolescent Addictive Diseases Program Specialist abmakanjuola@dbhdd.ga.gov | 404.657.2316

2. SAC Grant Purpose • The purpose of the grant was to enhance the state’s capacity to provide effective, accessible and affordable SA treatment for all youth and their families through collaborative strategic planning, cross agency coordination and training, workforce development, and promotion of evidence based practices (EBPs).

3. Overview • Georgia is one of three states awarded both the Child and Adolescent State Infrastructure Grant (CASIG) in 2004 and the State Adolescent Substance AbuseTreatment Coordination Grant (SAC) in 2005. • In March 2006, Ga. was allowed the opportunity to integrate both grants in order to maximize the State’s efforts to improve mechanisms that support the child and adolescent behavioral health service system. • An important change that affected the government social service sector as a whole during the grant years, was the change of the departmental structure of all the child-serving agencies in Georgia.

4. Office of AD was housed in the Department of Human Resources under the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases. (DHR/MHDDAD) • As of July 1, 2009, MHDDAD became a separate department with new name. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). The office of AD became a division, DAD. • Through the combined SAC/SIG grant, a collaborative members’ group was formed to include representatives from all child-serving agencies and families of adolescents in need of substance abuse/co-occurring disorders services in Georgia. • On May 23,2007, the SIG/SAC Grant was renamed the KidsNet Georgia during the Collaborative quarterly meeting.

5. The KidsNet Georgia Collaborative established a Steering Committee, which consist of a smaller group of key Collaborative members. This group provides leadership and oversight of the Collaborative and its Work Groups. • The Steering Committee established four Work Groups facilitated by selected members of the Steering Committee and assigning the implementation of each of the project’s tasks to one of the Work Groups. They are: 1. Workforce Development 2. Family & Youth Involvement 3. Finance 4. Interagency Collaboration

6. Accomplishments • The workforce development workgroup developed a survey that was distributed to the workforce of all public child-serving agencies in Georgia to conduct an assessment on the current workforce competencies. • The survey was administered electronically through Survey Monkey during December 2008; all workers in related fields were invited to participate. • The data collected was analyzed by University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The results of the survey were used to develop training strategies.

7. The survey was divided into three tiers: • Tier One: Mental health and substance abuse clinicians and supervisors • Tier Two: Staff who provide case management related services • Tier Three: Staff providing supportive functions to those serving youth and families

8. In total, 3,327 people in the Georgia workforce responded to the survey, a plurality of whom (47 percent) work for the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Twenty-seven percent of the respondents work for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and another 10 percent work for the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD). • The vast majority of respondents (64 percent) fell into the Tier Two category. • The data from this expansive survey confirm many factors for which no empirical evidence yet existed, such as the relative educational and skill levels across tiers.

9. The data results provides an understanding of the training needs and desires in the workforce and to whom those training opportunities should be directed. • The data also illuminate gaps in necessary skills and helps decision makers understand where strengths and weakness lie in terms of competencies. • As a result of the survey, the SAC grant was able to provide multiple training opportunities for providers to expand their skills in working with youth. • The SAC grant collaborated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and was able to blend funds to provide the Seven Challenges Training for their providers.

10. The MOU specifically included a commitment from DJJ to train staff, provide the services within the long-term youth detention centers (YDC) and refer youth to DBHDD trained providers in the community currently offering the Seven Challenges groups in the a community based treatment programs. • The SAC grant supported the provision of MET/CBT trainings with fidelity built into the models, to DJJ staff, DFCS staff and also family training on advocacy. • The SAC grant sponsored a two-day gang awareness training, August 17-18, 2009 with over 150 participants in attendance. The training provided an in-depth knowledge of the current trends of criminal street level gangs and other gang types to professionals and providers of child and adolescent services. • The SAC/SIG grant supported family and youth involvement in the development of a more effective, stronger not louder family voice and encourage agencies to include family members at their decision making tables, and involve parents/family as a valued partner in all matters affecting their children.

11. Seven Challenges Training • The SAC grant project facilitated continual implementation of the statewide training initiative, the Seven Challenges: “Helping Adolescents Make Wise Decisions About Alcohol and Drugs”. • During the course of the SAC grant more than 370 individuals from over 85 different child serving agencies statewide were trained in the Seven Challenges Model.

12. The Mercer University Project • The SAC grant partnered with Mercer University Atlanta Campus to provide training for individuals working with adolescent with substance abuse related problems and co-occurring disorders to enable participants to acquired necessary training hours needed to for certification test. • The curriculum for this training was developed by Mercer University and consists of twenty- two modules to be completed over a 15 month period. In all, 50 clinicians participated in this training and were able to sit for their certification test.

13. GSAS • The Georgia School of Addiction Studies (GSAS) annual conference has been sponsored in part by SAC and by DBHDD, Division of Addictive Diseases since started in 2007. • As part of GSAS conference, the SAC grant sponsored the first regional symposium for college level students to engage students in chosen a career in the field of adolescent substance abuse, an efforts to expand the workforce for this area in Georgia. • The SAC grant also provided funding to train service providers and their clinicians on the use of GAIN- Q (Global Appraisal of Individual Needs) for screening which started in the 21 Kidsnet communities.

14. Sustainability • Through the SAC grant initiative, the student symposium is now a permanent part of the school annually conference. • The SAC grant’s Mercer Certification program was adopted as an initiative for the new Division of AD and pushing statewide training of EBP’s. • DAD adopted the use of GAIN in all of its adolescent clubhouse recovery support centers. • SAC/GIG facilitate the formation of Training Directors/Representatives Group, that involved a training director or representative from each state child serving agency including: DCFS, DJJ, DBHDD, DCH, DOE, DECAL, ECCS, DOL (VR) and DEPR.

15. This group agreed to continue to meet and partner on training efforts in the state of Georgia to affect changes in training policies and initiatives of any training throughout the state. • Georgia continue to work with the local system of care sites throughout the state to promote family involvement and the incorporation of SA identification and treatment through partnership with the Georgia Council on SA. • The work of SAC/SIG in convening quarterly Collaborative and Steering committee meetings has now been taking over by the Governor’s Office of Children and Family (GOCF).