Create Collaborative Behavioral Health Solutions For Youth
The Youth Justice & Family Well-Being Technology Collaborative (Tech Collab) brings partners together to co-develop technology solutions to increase access to behavioral health care for youth and families impacted by the child welfare and juvenile legal systems (systems-impacted youth and families).
The Answer to Today’s Youth Health Crisis
California has invested 4.4 billion dollars into expanding youth (ages 0-25) behavioral health care access, including telehealth services.
The time is now to enhance cross-system collaboration to develop, test, adopt, and rigorously evaluate youth digital behavioral health services across California.
Sample Outcomes of Cross-system Collaboration
Since 2020, the San Francisco Tech Collab has served as a think tank for project development. Read more about some of these projects below!
A mobile health application (app) co-designed with Bay Area foster youth to improve access to mental health and substance use prevention services and resources for foster youth. FostrSpace provides access to a directory of resources, a personal care navigator, and licensed clinicians who provide direct care via telehealth.
A motivational text messaging service delivered to youth in contact with the legal system and their caregivers that is being tested to see if texts can help youth regularly attend their substance use treatment sessions.
A family-based affect management telehealth intervention delivered by clinicians (in English and Spanish) with adolescents involved in the child welfare system in California.
Want To Learn How To Build Your Own Tech Collab?
This Digital Health Toolkit website (referred to as the Toolkit) is an educational guide intended to support child welfare, juvenile legal, and related systems of care in developing an interagency tech collaborative. Such collaboration can improve access to behavioral health services for systems-impacted youth and families.
The Toolkit outlines a specific model for jurisdictions to leverage technology in developing its own mission, vision, and objectives to improve behavioral health and legal outcomes for this population.
Check out our Toolkit’s Roadmap for guidance and resources at every stage to support your Tech Collab’s work!
Be Part of the Change, Build Your Own Tech Collab
California is pioneering expanded behavioral health care resources for systems-impacted youth. Check out recent legislation driving reform:
Bench2School Initiative
Established in 2021 by the CA State Legislature (Cal. Ed. Code § 99275), aims to disrupt the school to prison pipeline in California by addressing literacy outcomes in school settings through a collaborative multidisciplinary approach. This initiative is led by UC Law SF, UCSF School of Medicine, and the UCLA School of Education.
Family First Prevention Services Act (FFSPA)
Established in 2018, this federal law (Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 - Public Law (P.L.) 115-123) provides states and tribes with enhanced capacity to give child welfare-involved families greater access to mental health services, substance use treatment, and/or parenting skills courses.
Office of Youth and Community Restoration Act (OYCR)
Established in July 2021, this act (within SB 823, Chapter 337, Statutes of 2020) guides the transition of post-adjudication incarceration from the state to counties by identifying and sharing best practices for rehabilitation. OYCR offers technical assistance on how to achieve best outcomes and improve experiences for youth in contact with the legal system while supporting community safety.
Department of Health Care Services -
California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM)
Established in January 2023, this legislation (Title (a) - Code § 14184.100) aims to improve the quality of life and health outcomes by implementing broad delivery system, program, and payment reform across the Medi-Cal program.
CalAIM has a justice-involved initiative that supports pre-release Medi-Cal enrollment strategies to avoid discontinuity in care upon community re-entry from incarceration.
Seeking consultation on starting your own Tech Collab? Want to stay informed about new Tech Collab developments? Click the button below to get in contact with a member of the UCSF research team!