As an Organizational Provider of specialty mental health services, Remi Vista is able to provide a level of treatment for youth placed in out-of-home care that is very unique within the foster and group home system.

DEFINITION: The term “specialty mental health services” refers to a class of therapeutic services made available to MediCal recipients who are identified as needing such services in order to address significant problems with living. These services include individual, group, and family psychotherapy, rehabilitation, targeted case management, collateral services, and Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS).

THE BENEFITS OF SPECIALTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES:
Friendly to County Budgets: The majority of specialty mental health services are funded by Federal EPSDT funds, rather than county funds. In this time of financial crisis in California, it is important to be able to access a variety of funding sources in order to properly care for troubled youth. By combining specialty mental health services (funded by EPSDT via MediCal) and residential services (funded by AFDC-FC), as well as a variety of other public and private grants, Remi Vista provides counties with an option for a true blending of public funding for youth.

Continuum of Care: Remi Vista has created within the organization a Mental Health Division responsible for the provision of specialty mental health services. In this way, we are able to assign professional therapeutic staff to provide such services independently from the therapeutic milieu, supportive counseling, and social work provided by the residential programs. This allows for much greater continuity of care as the therapists and rehabilitation specialists can continue services throughout changes in residential placement. For example, a child receiving services while in the group home program can continue to receive their necessary mental health services from the same therapist after they graduate from the program and move to a foster home, transitional housing, or back into their family home, etc.

Individualized Treatment: This division of services also enables Remi Vista to provide treatment that is much more focused on the child’s individual needs. Specialty mental health services are organized around individual treatment plans that outline specific and measurable goals and objectives for each child. Their treatment is therefore tailored to address their specific needs.

Shorter Lengths of Stay: The professional staff at Remi Vista have become specialists in the fields pertaining to residential care, such as juvenile sex offender treatment, attachment disorders, disruptive behavior disorders and post-traumatic stress in children. Remi Vista is therefore able to bring this specialized experience to bear in the delivery of specialty mental health services. Thus, while the services are individualized and independent, they are also well integrated into the overall residential milieu. We believe that this will result in quicker progress toward the goals of reunification and emancipation, and therefore shorter lengths of stay in our residential programs.

HOW TO OBTAIN SPECIALTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES:
Contracting: A contract is necessary in order for Remi Vista, Inc. to become an Organizational Provider of specialty mental health services in your county. This agreement is a result of a negotiation process between Remi Vista, Inc. and your county’s department of mental health. Sample contracts are available upon request.

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