The Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative (CCSI) of New York City is a unique cross-systems forum that brings together parents, caregivers, youth, and service providers throughout the five boroughs of NYC on a monthly basis to create meaningful dialogue, share resources, and advocate for increased awareness and quality access to care for children and youth with mental and emotional health challenges.  Using the system of care model*, CCSI members tackle some of the toughest barriers standing in the way of youth receiving comprehensive and streamlined services to support their health and well-being and work together to advocate for positive change. 

The Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative (CCSI) works with families, youth, government agencies, and community providers to:

• Improve services in
  • child welfare
  • juvenile justice
  • family court
  • education
  • mental health
  • substance abuse
  • youth development
• Identify solutions for families being served by more than one agency
• Increase family and youth involvement in service planning and policy development

CCSI believes in behavioral health care that:

• is family-driven and youth-guided
• recognizes that each family has unique strengths
• provides the right services at the right time and in the right amount
• addresses the needs of each child and family across all service systems
• respects the language and culture of community members

*A system of care is defined as a comprehensive spectrum of mental health and other necessary services which are organized into a coordinated network to meet the multiple and changing needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional, social and behavioral challenges and their families. (Stroul and Friedman, 1986, 1996)