The Role of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Systems of Care

A CAP's role in systems of care grows and evolves over time. It begins with understanding systems and systems of care, adopting systems thinking, and becoming familiar with state and local child-serving systems. Early career roles usually focus on providing clinical services and grow to include teaching, advocating, acquiring more systems knowledge, and discovering opportunities to become a systems consultant. The system of care must continue to treat youth and families with active mental health problems, but also adequately promote population health through effective early intervention and prevention programs that keep more youths in the home, at school, and in the community. The CAP will have a role in promoting this mindset through research, advocacy, interagency collaboration, and multidisciplinary planning. The child-serving systems face many financial and logistical barriers that hinder avenues of necessary growth, and many of these barriers have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CAP will play an important role in collaborating with system partners to find solutions to overcome the many challenges and barriers present and to promote youth and family empowerment and wellness.