Eligibility

Counseling and case management services are provided both directly by the Department's direct service staff and by purchase of services. Purchased counseling and case management services are available on both an open referral and closed referral basis. Closed referral case management services are required to conform to the Department's policies, practices, procedures, and regulations, as reflected in the provider's contract. Counseling services are provided to meet a wide variety of needs, including: (1) to prevent placement of children in substitute care; (2) to reduce or eliminate stress leading to abuse or neglect of children or adults; (3) to assist victims of abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and domestic violence to cope with and respond to these experiences; (4) to prepare families for eventual reunion when substitute care has been used and to assist families when reunions occur; (5) to assist families or individuals to achieve a higher level of independent functioning; (6) to assist families or individuals to cope with normal periods of stress and adjusting to changes caused by the developmental stages of growth; (7) to assist parents and foster parents to strengthen their parenting skills; (8) to assist families, foster families or individuals to cope with crisis and develop ways to resolve the crisis; (9) to prepare children in the Department's care and all members of permanent alternative families for their new living experience; (10) to assist individuals and their families and foster families in coping with developmental disabilities; (11) to prepare children and adolescents, as well as their families and foster families, for substitute care placement; (12) to assist children and adolescents in substitute care, and their families and foster families, to attain agreed upon service goals; (13) to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless, and to assist the homeless and those living in inadequate or substandard housing to locate and retain appropriate housing; and (14) to assist recently immigrated and refugee families and individuals in adjusting to living in a new culture.