Almost every county in Mississippi has a Multidisciplinary Assessment and Planning (MAP) Team, often known more informally as “Making a Plan” teams. State law designates MAP Teams as the single point of entry and re-entry into the system of care for children’s mental health for children who have serious mental health challenges and are at risk for out-of-home care in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric residential treatment facility. They are also, by law, the single point of re-entry for children returning from out-of-home care.
In other words, if a child is at risk for coming out of the home due to mental health challenges (including if these challenges are coupled with substance use disorders or intellectual or developmental disabilities) their family should be connected with the MAP teams so they can choose the supports and services they want for their child from whichever provider(s) they choose. Before a child is discharged from a psychiatric hospital or residential treatment facility, their family should once again be referred to the MAP Team so they can choose the services they want from the providers they choose.
This document from 2005 illustrates how the law intends MAP teams to work (Mississippi no longer has waiver services, but the pathway for entering or re-entering the system of care is still through the local MAP team):
Families, mental health providers, the systems that serve children, and interested community members work together on MAP teams to support families so they can stay together. This is important because children do best when they stay in their homes and communities. There is little, if any evidence, that residential treatment helps children and evidence indicates that it can harm them.
Families as Allies is responsible for the Hinds County MAP team, and Henry Moore, our director of family-driven practice, facilitates the team. Henry has worked diligently with the team over the past few years to ensure all members understand the MAP Team’s purpose and stay focused on it. He developed a decision tree for members and trained them on how to use it. He spends countless hours supporting team members and families.
We are excited and touched by the direction the members are taking the Hinds County MAP team. We’ve seen mental health providers have difficult, but family-driven, conversations when a family tells the team the services they have aren’t working. We’ve seen “the statute” become a common reference in conversations. We’ve seen residential providers connect families with the team before considering out-of-home care. We’ve seen team members work diligently to bring children back from out-of-state placements. We’ve seen Medicaid and managed care come to the table to expand the team’s pathways to help children stay in their homes and communities. We’ve seen peer supporters immediately reach out to the MAP team when a family comes in and is in crisis.
We’ve seen a lot of hard work, partnerships with families and good results with the Hinds County MAP team. If you see any team members, please tell them you appreciate their hard work in strengthening the system of care for children’s mental health in Hinds County. The Hinds County MAP Team also welcomes new members from the community.
