State-Community System of Care Development: an Exploratory Longitudinal Review

The system of care (SOC) philosophy evolved into a framework to support access to effective behavioral health services for children. This study explored the use of the System of Care Implementation Survey (SOCIS) to monitor SOC development during one Midwestern state's federal planning and expansion grants. Utilizing a translational framework, results showed that despite fluctuations in SOC factor implementation over time, state and local SOCs had mid-level development. Further, inferential analysis of select factors indicated that outreach and access to services and the skilled provider network were significantly worse over time. Significant improvement in the treatment quality was documented but not sustained. Changes for Family Choice and Voice and Collaboration were not statistically significant. Variability in survey participation limited the evaluation. Refinement of evaluation methods is needed to monitor progress and to manage SOC development.