Background Nearly three years ago, a group of public child-serving agency professionals, family members, and community members began strategizing about how best to ensure that the children in Orange and Chatham counties could have a comprehensive array of services available to them if they faced mental health or substance abuse needs. Our efforts were inspired by cutting edge research (called “system of care”) that demonstrated that kids who face emotional challenges do best when the help they receive builds on the strengths of their family and is delivered in their home community. While this may sound simple—and maybe even obvious--this approach fundamentally altered the way the myriad helping systems had traditionally worked together on behalf of our children and families. Most often, helping professionals sought out-of-home help for children, frequently far from home. From the start, The Community Backyard was committed to changing this way of taking care of the children of Orange and Chatham Counties. We believe: Families are groups of individuals interconnected by blood or bond who support, nurture, and protect one another. Our Values: Families are the center of community life. Children are best served in homes with families in supportive and supported environments. Families and the communities in which they live share a responsibility to build an easily accessible support system that ensures the safety and well being of the entire community. In order to be most effective, community agencies that offer support to families must join together with a shared sense of purpose and values. We believe that effective inter-agency collaboration relies on the ongoing evaluation of services needed in the community; the implementation of outcome oriented and culturally sensitive services; involvement with local and state policy makers; and innovative funding strategies that combine the use of public and private resources. Home • Who We Are • What We Do • Resources • Publications • Contact Us The Community Backyard is a program of Mental Health Association of Orange County (MHA), a 501c-3 non-profit organization. The Community Backyard • The Veneable Building • 302 W. Weaver Street • Carrboro, NC • 27510 919-942-8083 • bguthrie@mhaoc.com