As mandated by Public Law 25-141, a Guam System of Care Council (GSOCC) was established to create a comprehensive System of Care Plan for the treatment of children with a serious emotional disturbance (SED), and their families, on Guam. This legislation was the culmination of collaborative efforts by community stakeholders to improve services to children with a severe emotional disturbance and their families. The Council was able to create a true collaborative effort among families, service providers, and other community stakeholders, and from this collaboration grew a common vision and shared set of values and principles. Partnering with and supporting community resources such as PROCEED, FILAK, and the agency Ombudsmen, the Council held a series of meetings, workshops, conferences, and working sessions to develop a community-based, family- driven plan for creating a unified system of care to better provide services to children with SED. The Council held a public hearing on its draft plan in August of 2002, and delivered the final plan to I Liheslatura and I Maga’lahi in September 2002.

The GSOCC, upon completing the System of Care Plan, assisted the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, as the lead agency, in the writing of the Child Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) Grant application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through its resources, the Council was instrumental in ensuring that the application was submitted. Guam was awarded this highly competitive, Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000), six (6) year grant in September of 2002. Funds from this grant will be used to develop the infrastructure and capacity to serve children with SED and their families.

A fundamental requirement of the grant is that a community governance body be established to carry out a System of Care for children and

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10 Guam Code Ann. HEALTH AND SAFETY
CH. 93 GUAM SYSTEM OF CARE COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE

adolescents and their families. The re-establishment of the GSOCC will not only fulfill the requirement for the cooperative agreement but will also ensure that Guam’s initiative is sustained and continues well beyond the six (6) year grant period. The establishment of the GSOCC is a reflection of Guam’s commitment to its children and their families, and towards true system reform. The GSOCC is to be Guam’s community collaborative body addressing the broader encompassing issues of children’s mental health needs and services.

It is therefore the intention of I Liheslaturan Guåhan [the Legislature] to permanently establish a ‘Guam System of Care Council’ to implement and expand the Guam System of Care Plan, to seek Federal and/or foundation funding for its sustainability, to ensure continued collaboration among families, public and private service providers, and other stakeholders, and to act as the governing body for the CMHI cooperative agreement.

SOURCE: Added by P.L. 25-141:1 (May 26, 2000). Repealed and reenacted by P.L.
27-047:1 (Dec. 17, 2003).

2013 NOTE: Pursuant to P.L. 32-024:2 (May 6, 2013) which renamed the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (DMHSA) to the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, all references to DMHSA were altered to the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.