Arkansas DHS

Arkansas Division of Behavioral Health Services
Children’s Services
305 South Palm Street
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Telephone: (501) 686-9175

Child and Adolescent Service System Program

What Is Mental Health?

Mental Health is how we think, feel, and act in order to face life’s situations. It is how we look at ourselves, our lives and the people we know and care about. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life.

SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES

The phrase, serious emotional disturbances for children and adolescents, refers to mental health problems that are severely disrupting daily life and functioning at home, at school, or in the community. Serious emotional disturbances can affect young people at any given time. Without help, such mental health problems can lead to school failure, alcohol or drug abuse, family discord, violence, or even suicide.

ARKANSAS CASSP

The Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) was established in Arkansas by Act 964 of 1991 and in 2001 through Act 1517. CASSP is based on the concept developed by the National Institute of Mental Health that focuses on the need for interagency collaboration and coordination across systems in delivering multiple services to seriously emotionally disturbed children. CASSP service teams are available throughout the state to develop multi-agency plans of care for individual children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance when the current system is not adequately meeting their needs.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of CASSP is to further the development of a community-based system of care for children and adolescents and their families, with the focus of services, as well as, management and decision-making responsibility resting at the community level, with the needs of the child and family dictating the types and mix of services provided.

Referrals

Referrals must come through the local community mental health center. Any child-serving agency/organization or parent/guardian of a child with serious emotional disturbances can make a referral. The CASSP Coordinator in your area will assess the child using previous assessments and available information provided by the referral source. If the child meets the criteria for CASSP services, a multi-agency service team will staff him/her.

To Make Referrals Contact the Following

Regional CASSP Coordinators:

If you know a child or adolescent who might benefit from multi-agency, wrap-around services, call the Regional CASSP Coordinator who serves your county.

Community Counseling Services, Inc. (Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, Pike) Catheryn Luna (501) 624-7111 PO Box 6399, Hot Springs, AR 71902 Catherynl@hsccs.org

Counseling Associates, Inc. (Pope, Yell, Johnson, Faulkner, Conway, Perry) Lee Roberson Koone (501) 354-1561 #8 Hospital Drive, Morrilton, AR 72110 lee@caiinc.org

Counseling Clinic, Inc. (Saline) Mike King (501) 315-4224 307 E. Sevier, Benton, AR 72015
mking@cc-inc.org

Counseling Services of Eastern AR (Cross, Crittenden, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, St. Francis) Lynn Fernon (870) 630-3805 4451 N. Washington, Forrest City, AR 72335 dfermpm@mshs.org

Delta Counseling Associates, Inc. (Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew) Stacey Davis (870) 367-2461 PO Box 820, Monticello, AR 71657-0820 s.davis@deltacounseling.org

LR Community Mental Health Center (Little Rock and South Pulaski) [Centers for Youth and Families Cookie Higgins (501) 666-8686 (extension 3503) PO Box 251970, Little Rock, AR 72225-1970
chiggins@ cfyf.org

Mid-South Health System, Inc. (Clay, Craighead, Greene, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph) Derek Spiegel (870) 972-4029 2707 Browns Lane, Jonesboro, AR 72401
dspiegel@mshs.org

Professional Counseling Associates (Lonoke, Prairie, North Pulaski-including North Little Rock) Erica Jenkins (501) 221-1843 650 S. Shackelford Rd, Suite 217, Little Rock, AR 72221
erica.jenkins@pca-ar.org

Health Resources of Arkansas (Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, White, Woodruff) Staci Ringwald (870) 793-8925 PO Box 2578, Batesville, AR 72503
sringwald@hra-health.org

Ozark Counseling Services, Inc. (Baxter, Boone, Marion, Newton, Searcy) Dianne Martaus (870) 425-5395 PO Box 812, Yellville, AR 72687
ocs@yellville.net

Ozark Guidance Center, Inc. (Benton, Carroll, Madison, Washington) Vicky Strange (479) 750-1903 614 E. Emma, Suite 203, Springdale, AR 72764 rcstrange@aol.com

South AR Regional Health Center (Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Nevada, Ouachita, Union) Al Lachut (870) 862-7921 715 N. College, El Dorado, AR 71730 alachut@sarhc.org

Southeast AR Behavioral Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Arkansas, Cleveland, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln) Sharon Cagle (870) 673-1633 121 Commercial Dr. B, Stuttgart, AR 72160
sharon@sabhs.com

Bessie Lancelin P.O. Box 1019 Pine Bluff, AR 71613 (870) 534-1834
Becky@sabhs.org

Southwest AR Counseling and Mental Health Center, Inc. (Hempstead, Howard, Miller, Lafayette, Little River, Sevier) Danny Stanley (870) 773-4655 2904 Arkansas Blvd., Texarkana, AR 71854
dstanley@swacmhc.com

Western AR Counseling and Guidance Center (Crawford, Franklin, Polk, Logan, Sebastian, Scott) Becky Young (479) 452-6650 PO Box 11818, Fort Smith, AR 72913
becky_young@wacgc.org

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT SERVICE SYSTEM PROGRAM
TARGET POPULATION DEFINITION

The Arkansas CASSP target population shall include:

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE. If a youth is in treatment upon reaching the eighteenth birthday, treatment and traditional services should continue. Other persons who realize the need for treatment after they have reached eighteen years of age would enter the adult treatment system.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHOSE EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS ARE DISABLING BASED UPON SOCIAL FUNCTIONING CRITERIA. Level of functioning is a critical variable for children and adolescents, determining the nature and level of care that is appropriate. Degree of disability or level of functioning in a family, school and community context is often more meaningful than a mental health diagnosis in planning and delivering services.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE A MULTI-AGENCY NEED. Children and adolescents with emotional or behavioral problems require an array of services which necessitates the involvement of multiple agencies including mental health, health, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and others.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE A DIAGNOSED MENTAL, BEHAVIORAL, OR EMOTIONAL DISORDER OF A LONG-TERM NATURE. Disability of at least one-year duration, or substantial risk of this, may be considered long-term.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO EXHIBIT ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS:

1. The behavior occurs with a sufficient frequency to be considered a pattern or response, or to be so I tense that the consequences lead to a severe measure of control, such as seclusion, restraint, hospitalization, or chemical intervention.

2. The behaviors although provoked, are judged to be extreme or inappropriate for the age (very aggressive, self-withdrawal).

3. The behaviors are sufficiently disruptive as to lead to exclusion from school, home, therapeutic or recreational settings.

4. The behaviors are sufficiently intense or severe to be considered seriously detrimental to the child’s growth, development, welfare or to the safety or welfare of others.

Adopted by the CASSP Advisory Committee 5-24-89