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Identifying Strengths and Needs

The Youth Empowerment Services (YES) system of care includes identification and assessment of youth who may have or be at risk of serious emotional disturbance. Several tools have been created to help families, medical providers, and behavioral health professionals identify youth who may benefit from a full mental health assessment, including the use of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool.

Information gathered during the use of the complete CANS is entered into the ICANS system. More information about this process can be found on the ICANS website.

Checklists

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There are two checklists to help youth and families decide if a full mental health assessment may be helpful:

Children’s Mental Health Screener

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Learn about the Children’s Mental Health Screener on the Healthcare Professionals page. 

CANS

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Learn about how the YES system of care uses the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool. 

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