DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Children’s Services Division

Inland Counties Pilot Project Integrates Crisis Support and Services for Foster Youth

Riverside and San Bernardino counties formally launched the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program, a joint effort to close long standing gaps in mental health care for foster youth in crisis. Mandated in 2021 by AB 153, the initia tive focuses on integrating services rath er than expanding facilities. It is designed to give youth in crisis immediate stabili zation, therapeutic support and smooth transitions between levels of care, whether they are moving from a hospital, treatment center or foster home. “This program is about making sure chil dren in crisis are not left waiting in of fices, emergency rooms or temporary shelters,” said Children’s Services Ad ministrative Services Manager, Nicole Ford. “We are building a coordinated system that meets youth where they

are, surrounds them with the right care at the right time and helps them move forward.” The pilot brings together child welfare, probation and behavioral health teams from both counties to create a trauma focused network of crisis response, short-term stabilization and intensive in-home services. Intensive Transition Planning teams will guide each youth’s movement between placements and ensure continuity in mental health, edu cation and social support. The program aims to keep youth in fam ily settings whenever possible, prioritize kinship care, reduce unnecessary hospi talizations and prevent law enforcement involvement during behavioral health emergencies. It also expands intensive foster care options, including Enhanced

Intensive Services Foster Care homes with 24-hour support. “This collaboration gives us the ability to respond quickly, stabilize youth safely and help them return to family and com munity,” Ford said. “Every child deserves a path out of crisis and into healing.” The pilot serves foster youth experienc ing acute mental health or substance use crises, those with unmet complex needs, youth awaiting placement and youth stepping down from higher levels of care. By strengthening communi ty-based crisis services and aftercare, the neighboring counties whose com bined population is approaching 6 mil lion, aim to give young people stability, recovery and a better chance at long term success.

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services | Annual Report 2024 - 2025

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