Oak Hill Child, Adolescent, and Family Center: At the "Center" of the System of Care

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Because young children have only limited control over the environment in which they live, they are particularly vulnerable to the social conditions that lead to poor health outcomes. Environmental and social exposures during childhood development have a strong influence on determining the life path of children as they develop into adults. For decades, Fulton County has invested more than $30 million annually in endeavors to assist children and youth in building stronger lives. While successes have been many, programs often operated independently with varying levels of collaboration which sometimes created barriers for client entry and retention.In response, efforts have been undertaken since 2010 to develop a comprehensive, cohesive, network of services and resources that is child centered and family focused. At its core is Oak Hill and its Fulton Family Care Network through which youth-specific health and social issues are addressed through inter- and intra- departmental programs delivered in a safe, well-coordinated environment. In 2012, 94% of clients in the programs of Oak Hill’s Fulton Family Care Network demonstrated an improvement in functioning based upon the Functional Assessment Tool which measures areas including housing, employment, income, education, parenting skills, family functioning, budgeting, and behavioral health and/or substance abuse issues.