The Families and Systems Teams (FAST$) initiative involved the creation of a state-wide funding stream that was designed to better meet the needs of Ohio families containing children and adolescents with significant behavioral health care needs. Over the past three years, FAST$ funds have been distributed to local service providers in all 88 Ohio counties in order to facilitate a variety of activities not covered under traditional Medicaid reimbursement plans.

Most importantly, FAST$-funded activities were designed to promote and develop a sense of family empowerment for caregivers of children and adolescents experiencing significant behavioral health issues. In essence, this effort was designed to support efforts that would give family members more of a “voice and choice” in the services offered to their children and adolescents. In addition, the funding stream was meant to enhance the services being provided to youth and families, as well as to encourage greater collaboration among service providers representing various human service agencies and organizations.

In turn, it was anticipated that these activities would impact outcomes variables related to the well-being of children and adolescents whose families benefited from the services supported by this funding stream. Here, increased family empowerment, enhanced services, and intensified systems collaboration together were expected to be associated with both reductions in the severity of behavioral health problems and improvements in overall functioning levels of the children and adolescents who participated in activities supported by the FAST$ funding stream.

The Center for Family Research (CFR) at The Ohio State University was contracted to conduct an evaluation of the FAST$ Project in order to generate important information about the effective use of state support in meeting the needs of Ohio families containing children and adolescents with significant behavioral health needs. The three primary activities of the FAST$ Project – family empowerment, service enhancement, and systems collaboration – became the main foci of the evaluation effort.

Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in support of the evaluation effort. Quantitative information was obtained through three primary data sources: the OSU enrollment forms and scales, the MACSIS claims database, and the Ohio Outcomes database. Qualitative information was obtained in focus groups that were conducted throughout the state of Ohio with service providers/program administrators, parent advocates, and family caregivers.

This project was funded by the Ohio Departments of Mental Health, Job and Family Services, Youth Services, and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services as part of a collaboration coordinated by Ohio Family and Children First.

FAST$ Project News and Reports

Click here to go to a news story about the FAST project

FAST$ Project Partners

The Ohio Department of Mental Health

ODMH website

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

ODJFS website

The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services

ODADAS website

The Ohio Department of Youth Services