Since 1988, Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of South Florida has been a leader in promoting the expansion of the research base essential to improved service systems for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families. Our first national conference, also initiated in 1988, was on system of care research primarily to enhance the capacity of the children’s mental health field to systematically study important issues. This conference has continued each year, bringing together more than 500 researchers, evaluators, policy-makers, administrators, parents, and advocates to share dialogue about important issues such as health, education and welfare, share new knowledge, and identify challenges that remain for the field.

2012 Topics Included:

• » Research on system level structures and processes that impact effectiveness
• » Research within and across systems, policy and practice (such as child/adolescent to adult mental health, school to employment supports)
• » Research regarding family, youth, and young adult roles in mental health services
• » Linking primary care to mental health
• » Family-to-family and peer-to-peer supports
• » Community-based approaches to reducing disparities
• » Integration of policy and practice across sectors (such as child welfare and mental health, schools and juvenile justice)
• » Implementing evidence-based and community-defined practices
• » The role of youth and young adult leadership in shaping system change
• » Innovative approaches to research, evaluation and performance measurement in complex settings
• » Early childhood mental health
• » Substance abuse and dual diagnosis among youth and young adults
• » Community-based participatory research
• » Innovative approaches for older youth and young adults