Children's Services
CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS is a wraparound program that coordinates community-based services for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families.
CONNECTIONS serves children and youth with serious emotional disturbances in Wayne County.
Wayne County System of Care
Welcome to CONNECTIONS
Connections is the Wayne County System of Care. The System of Care is an approach to services that recognizes the importance of family, school and community, and seeks to promote the full potential of every child and youth by addressing their physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs.
Collaboration & Leadership
CONNECTIONS Groups & Committees
CONNECTIONS convenes a number of groups and committees that bring together community partners to address the needs of children, youth, and families in Wayne County.
Baby Court Steering Committee
A multidisciplinary team (Community Mental Health, DHHS, Court Judge and Attorneys) of key stakeholders who meet to monitor and facilitate the implementation of the Baby Court model within Wayne County.
CAFAS/PECFAS
Quarterly meeting to analyze project outcomes and review CAFAS and PECFAS trainings within the provider network.
Children's Practice Standards Taskforce
Meeting to standardize workforce development procedures and practices for children's system of care providers.
Children's System Transformation (CST)
Key children's services leaders assist in defining operational issues, workforce development activities, and advising the Director of Children's Initiatives.
Cross Systems Management (CSM)
Leaders of the system of care partners charged to operationalize system changes within their organization through policy and process development.
DHHS Special Projects Committee
Focuses on macro level concerns (identifying and eliminating cross system barriers, policy development and implementation) regarding the DHHS/CMH Special Projects including SEDW, SED, I/DD population and General Fund Benefit.
Early Childhood Task Force
Leadership providing operational oversight to the zero to six population including Infant Mental Health (IMH); reports to Children's Standards of Care and Children's System Transformation.
Fatherhood Initiative Committee
Promotes and expands the Wayne County Fatherhood Initiative to provide support and education to fathers and male caregivers in our community to play a leading role in their child's life.
Great Start Collaborative
Updates on the Connections collaboration with Great Start Collaborative and the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Grant addressing toxic stress in the early childhood population.
Home-Based Meeting
Stakeholders focus on creating best practices for home-based services as applicable to Medicaid, working to create home-based worker certification and bridging the gap between Juvenile Justice and mental health services.
Human Services Community Collaborative (HSCC)
The designated Multi-Purpose Collaborative Body for Wayne County, serving as the authoritative and collaborative resource to designated bodies, public and private agencies, consumers, youth and other community groups.
Juvenile Justice Partnership
Juvenile Justice and Community Mental Health workgroup that seeks to problem solve the unique issues related to Serious Emotionally Disturbed children in the Juvenile Justice system.
Parent Support Partner SOC Advisory Council
Meeting to identify and address issues related to Parent Involvement within Wayne County.
Transition Age Youth Leadership
Meeting to identify and resolve issues related to Cornerstone program and Youth Peer Support Specialist staffing and services in Wayne County.
Trauma Leadership
Meetings to expand the vision of a trauma-informed system of care in Wayne County which includes systems, organizations and citizens knowing and understanding what trauma is and how to support healing in children, youth, and families.
Wayne County Youth Involvement Committee
Youth United staff and Wayne County Community partners meet to strategize youth involvement within the Wayne County area and Connections system of care.
Wraparound Project Team
Meeting to ensure model fidelity and resolve issues related to wraparound services in Wayne County.
Multi-Purpose Collaborative Body
Human Services Community Collaborative
The History
Originally, the Wayne County Human Services Coordinating Body (HSCB) was created in 1993 as a governance entity for Michigan Interagency Family Preservation Initiative in Wayne County. As recommended by Michigan's System Reform Task Force in 1995, the HSCB became the State designated Multipurpose Collaborative Body for all Wayne County Interagency initiatives.
Currently
The Human Services Community Collaborative (HSCC) is the designated Multi-Purpose Collaborative Body for Wayne County and serves as the authoritative and collaborative resource to designated bodies; public and private agencies, consumers, youth, and other community groups, in the development of more integrated and efficient services affecting Wayne County's human services network.
HSCC Operating Guidelines (PDF) (opens in new tab)Youth Advocacy & Action
Youth Involvement
Positive youth development refers to intentional efforts of other youth, adults, communities, government agencies, and schools to provide opportunities for youth to enhance their interests, skills, and abilities into their adulthoods. Youth development overall is the physical, social, and emotional processes that occur during the adolescent period, from ages 10 until 24 years.
Youth United is a youth-led initiative whose purpose is to promote youth voice and youth partnership in Wayne County in partnership with Connections and its stakeholders using positive youth development values and philosophy. Youth United believes youth involvement and youth voice are necessary solutions to meet the needs of youth and families in systems of care.
Youth United
Youth United (YU) is an initiative that promotes advocacy and action among young people by using positive values and philosophy. YU advocates are passionate and not afraid to have courageous conversations about bullying, gun violence, human trafficking, substance use, mental illness, diversity, equity and inclusion, and breaking down stigmas and stereotypes.
Youth United Council
The Youth United Council is comprised of youth 18-25 years of age that have past or present involvement in different systems of care in Wayne County. The Council assists policy makers with decisions regarding systems of care that affect youth and families in Wayne County.
For more information and/or to connect with a Youth Ambassador:
Family Alliance for Change
Parent Involvement
The Family Alliance for Change provides a family/youth friendly atmosphere where family support, advocacy, referrals, resources and education are offered to all Wayne County Families.
Family Alliance for Change is a parent-driven, peer-to-peer service with the objectives of supporting, educating and empowering parents with special needs children to meet their family goals. Services include Parent Support Partners and Parent Partners, System of Care Parent training, support groups, father groups, and opportunities to meet with legislative representatives regarding policy changes.
About Us
Our Vision
Wayne County Families receive services locally that promote dignity, pride and respect; and that all services are responsive to the needs of the families. Families actively partner with all systems, at all levels to provide family voice and choice which will ultimately improve and impact how families receive service locally, statewide and nationally.
Our Values
- All families have value and are respected.
- A reputation in the community as a respectful, non-threatening and safe environment for staff, families and youth.
- A dedicated and strong advocate providing a voice for youth and families.
- Open to all — no one gets turned away.
- Respectful of diverse cultures and responsive to each family's unique needs.
- Promotes peer-to-peer mentoring for families and youth.
Guiding Principles
- We work to create an environment where questions are valued and independence and change is essential.
- We empower families by working as partners and peers with families.
- We act with respect, honesty, and transparency to build true partnerships that will create change.
- We work to keep families involved in treatment by providing support and resources.
- We connect and unify parents so they know they are not alone.
- We serve as good faith mediators between systems and families.
- We break down stigma by being strong educators of children and youth about mental health and developmental disabilities.
- By bringing all types of people together we promote a spirit of collaboration at all levels: family and systems.
- We offer peer-to-peer mentoring and parent support services that are culturally competent and sensitive.
- We create change through our partnerships, advocacy, and promotion of system of care values.
Family Support Services
Parent Support Partners (PSP)
A Parent Support Partner is a parent/caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral or other mental health challenges. A PSP brings their own life experiences, skills and knowledge to support and empower other parents who are facing challenges and barriers.
They are respectful and non-judgmental; a PSP values the decisions of parents to be their own best advocate and to make the decisions for their families. The Parent Support Partner is a member of the treatment team and is a critical part of the service planning and implementation.
A PSP always believes that parents should use their voice and should have all the resources to make informed choices and be able to act on them.
PSP Service Criteria
To be eligible for PSP services, you must meet the following criteria:
- Resident of Wayne County
- Medicaid Recipient
- Have a child diagnosed with SED (Serious Emotional Disturbance)
- Receive Community Mental Health Services
Our Partners
Additional Resources
CONNECTIONS is a collaborative effort involving a wide range of partners throughout Wayne County and Michigan.
- American Indian Health and Family Services (opens in new tab)
- Arab-American Chaldean Council (ACC) (opens in new tab)
- ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) (opens in new tab)
- Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan (opens in new tab)
- Black Family Development, Inc. (opens in new tab)
- Bridgeway Services (opens in new tab)
- Children's Hospital of Michigan (opens in new tab)
- Community Care Service (opens in new tab)
- Community Living Services (opens in new tab)
- Community Social Services (opens in new tab)
- Department of Children and Family Services (opens in new tab)
- Detroit Central City (opens in new tab)
- Detroit Wayne Connect (opens in new tab)
- Eastern Michigan University (opens in new tab)
- Family Alliance for Change (opens in new tab)
- Great Start Collaborative (opens in new tab)
- Hegira Health, Inc. (opens in new tab)
- Juvenile Assessment Center (opens in new tab)
- Kids TALK Children's Advocacy Center (opens in new tab)
- Lincoln Behavioral Services (opens in new tab)
- Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (opens in new tab)
- Michigan State University (opens in new tab)
- MiSide (opens in new tab)
- Northeast Guidance Center (opens in new tab)
- Ruth Ellis Center (LGBTQ2S Youth Services) (opens in new tab)
- Southwest Counseling Solutions (opens in new tab)
- Starfish Family Services (opens in new tab)
- The Children's Center (opens in new tab)
- The Guidance Center (opens in new tab)
- University of Michigan (opens in new tab)
- Vista Maria (opens in new tab)
- Wayne County Third Circuit Court (opens in new tab)
- Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (opens in new tab)
- Wayne State University (opens in new tab)
- Western Michigan University (opens in new tab)
- Youth United (opens in new tab)