2010 Reports

Unclaimed Children Revisited: Focusing on Outcomes—A Case Study of the Michigan Level of Functioning Project

Banghart, Patti L.; Cooper, Janice L.

The major aim of Unclaimed Children Revisited is to identify policy-supported state efforts to promote quality of care for children and youth with mental health conditions in the public mental health system. The Michigan Case Study examines one such initiative - Michigan’s Level of Functioning Project (LOF). It is a 14 year-old effort to monitor and improve outcomes for children and youth with severe emotional disturbance (SED), through the use of the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), a research-based tool that measures children’s daily functioning. The LOF aims to gather data on outcomes for children and youth with SED served through Michigan’s public mental health system. This data can then be used to inform decision-making at the policy and service delivery levels.