Cuyahoga Tapestry System of Care, “Tapestry” as it is called by families, continues to evolve in its goal of serving children with emotional difficulties and their families. Building on a grant received from the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2003 to develop a system of care, Tapestry employs a community wraparound process which services more than 600 families each year through both care coordination and family and youth advocacy.
Using a community wraparound process, the focus in Cuyahoga County is on discovering the strengths, needs and culture of each individual family, while also tapping into close-to-home community services and natural support that can sustain the family during the process and beyond. Families, along with their Care Coordinator, develop a team of people who can address each family’s individual needs with innovative and non-traditional solutions.
In 2009, Tapestry was recognized and awarded with the following honors at the annual System of Care Conference under the Celebrating Excellence in Community Communications and Outreach category:
- Gold Recognition-An Introduction to Tapestry Video
- Silver Recognition-A Parent Leader’s Handbook
- Bronze Recognition-Triumph: Succeeding Against the Odds Video
Parent& Youth Success Stories
The following is a success story of a family that was involved in CTSOC. This story shows the real impact of Tapestry for families in our community.
My name is Jennifer and I have a 15 year old daughter. My daughter is very smart but there is one problem she suffers with: emotional and mental problems. At times, her problem can be very difficult to cope with. We have tried several different therapists and doctors but nothing seemed to work and it became very frustrating for me and my daughter.
At the age of 11, my daughter was involved with the Juvenile Court and was in and out of psychiatric wards. Many days I felt very hopeless, and at night I would scream and cry out, asking “why me?”
One day, I opened up to a friend and shared what I was going through, she told me about a program called Tapestry and all the things that they had to offer. At that point I was willing to try anything that could possibly make my life better.
At first I thought Tapestry would fix all my problems and that they would perform a miracle on my family. I was assigned a Care Coordinator who came out to my home to meet with me and my daughter. The Care Coordinator also met with my daughter at school at least once a week, and she always answered her phone whenever I called no matter what time of day it was. The Care Coordinator was patient, consistent and dedicated. Sometimes my daughter would curse at our Care Coordinator, but she never gave up on us.
One day, our Care Coordinator suggested that we attend a parent support group that met every month. I started going to the support group and really enjoyed the meetings. There I met other parents who were going through similar situations as me. I appreciated the support the parents gave each other.
Tapestry has played a great role in my life and my daughter is doing a lot better. There are still some days that are rough, and problems that arise, but now we know how to handle them. My outlook and reactions have changed towards my daughter. She is doing well in school and has a 3.0 grade average. She does well at home for the most part. I am very grateful and humbled by what Tapestry has done in our lives.
Sincerely,
Jennifer, Parent