BACKGROUND INFORMATION
​MISSION AND HISTORY OF THE AGENCY
In 1972, with the collaboration of local government officials in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties, the Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services Board - Area Agency on Agency (RRCS) was formed to address gaps in the effective delivery of mental health, intellectual disability, substance abuse, and aging services in the local community. While other agencies in Virginia offer an array of services, the RRCS remains the only agency in Virginia that addresses the acts of the Virginia General Assembly (regulating the delivery of mental health, intellectual disability, and substance abuse services) and Federal Older Americans Act (regulating delivery of services to aging Americans). Starting with this solid foundation, the RRCS has expanded its original programs to incorporate a diverse number of evidence-based practices in order to offer a comprehensive array of service to the individuals in the community.
Through these services, the RRCS seeks to fulfill the mission of improving lives of individuals in the community which the RRCS serves.
HISTORY OF THE YOUNG ADULT COORDINATED CARE PROGRAM
On January 17, 2014, H.R. 3547, "the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014" was signed into law, providing national funding to support programs targeting early intervention for adolescents and young adults experiencing the first onset of symptoms of psychosis (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Informed of teh opportunity to develop a local program to benefit the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community and with the support of local community partners, the RRCS submitted an application and was one of only eight Community Service Boards in the state of Virginia awarded a grant to institute a program targeting this population. Through this grant and the utilization of the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) model as a guide, the Young Adult Coordinated Care (YACC) program was born.
Coordinated Specialty Care for young adults originated based on the realization that approximately 100,000 adolescents and young adults develop symptoms of psychosis each year. The peak onset of this development is between the ages of 15 and 25. Despite this prevalence, a large gap between the onset of symptoms and delivery of services as well as the lack of services for individuals transitioning into adulthood were noted. Therefore, the CSC model was developed to reduce the stigma for individuals experiencing these symptoms, provide early interventions to target these symptoms, and increase individual functioning. Given this need, the National Institute of Mental Health funded a trial research initiative, entitled, "Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE)." Results from this study revealed the potentail for diverse mental health practitioners to effectively apply the CSC principles to effectively treat individuals experiencing the early staged of psychosis (Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Disability Services, 2014). The outcomes of applying these approaches was identified to be significantly superior to other treatments targeting symptoms of psychosis.
GOALS OF COORDINATED CARE
The Young Adult Coordinated Care program shares goals of treatment with other programs that follow the Coordinated Specialty Care model. This approach is aimed at helping adolescents and young adults successfull cope with distressing symptoms of psychosis in order to improve their ability to go to work or school, live independentlym and develop healthy and enjoyable relationships.