Technical Assistance

Caring for every Child’s Mental Health Campaign

CARING FOR EVERY CHILD’S MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN

http://www.systemsofcare.samhsa.gov/TechnicalAssistance/smc.aspx

National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health / National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors / Vanguard Communications

Since its inception in 1994, the Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health Campaign has supported system of care communities through the strategic use of social marketing and communications strategies. Funded by a contract with the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, the Campaign operates through a partnership between the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Vanguard Communications (Vanguard) and the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (the Federation). The team works together to address the needs of diverse system of care communities using social marketing and communications techniques that are youth- and family-driven, culturally competent and responsive to individual community needs.

The overarching purpose of the Campaign is to stimulate support for a comprehensive system of care approach to children’s mental health services. To accomplish this, the Campaign has set the following primary goals:

• Reduce stigma associated with mental illness and promote mental health.
• Use social marketing strategies to help increase the likelihood that children and youth with SED and their families are appropriately served and treated.
• Increase awareness of mental health needs and services for children and youth among mental health providers, SOC communities, intermediary groups/organizations, and the public.
• Demonstrate to communities that the mental health needs of children and youth with SED are best met through the utilization of systems of care.
• Use social marketing strategies to help build capacity within SOC communities to sustain services and support to children and youth with SED and their families.