NJ Children System of Care (CSOC) Youth and Family Guide

Dear Parent/Legal Guardian:
Thank you for contacting PerformCare. We want to take this opportunity to welcome your family to the New Jersey Children’s System of Care (CSOC). The CSOC serves youth with emotional and behavioral health care needs, youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, youth with substance use challenges, and their families. CSOC is committed to providing services based on the needs of the youth and family in a family-centered, community-based environment. PerformCare works with CSOC to help you get the care your child needs, and we are committed to providing you exceptional customer service.
Enclosed you will find a copy of the Youth and Family Guide. Please refer to the Guide for information about how the Children’s System of Care works, along with information about your rights, privacy, and useful community resources. The Youth and Family Guide is also available on our website, www.performcareNJ.org, along with the latest information on the CSOC.
You will receive more information from PerformCare soon, depending on what services your child will be accessing. PerformCare is happy to discuss service options with you at any time. You can call PerformCare 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, at 1-877-652-7624. We look forward to serving you.

This User’s Guide was created to serve as a “road map” for family members. You can use it to help make sure your family is on the right path, and make sure the process follows closely to the principles and activities of wraparound. In the following pages, you will first see some basic summaries of the wraparound process, including a quick guide to wraparound and a list of common wraparound terms. In later sections, you will see more details on the wraparound process, including descriptions of each of the four phases of wraparound and notes on “troubleshooting” common problems that occur in each phase. You will also find checklists of things that should happen during wraparound, and documents and forms you should see along the way.

A product of:
The National Wraparound Initiative

Through these Recommended Practices, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and co-authors seek to provide guidance to the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), state and local child welfare agencies and their contract providers on how to fulfill their professional and legal obligations to ensure safe and proper care consistent with the best interest and special needs of each and every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) child in the child welfare system. On April 6, 2011, the ACYF Commissioner, Bryan Samuels, issued a memorandum encouraging protection and support of LGBTQ youth in foster care.  These Recommended Practices elaborate on the provision of services to LGBTQ youth in the areas of foster care, child protection, family preservation, adoption and youth development. They aim to assist state child welfare agencies to meet the needs of this particularly vulnerable and underserved population by promoting safe, competent and supportive settings for LGBTQ youth.

Prepared By:

Child Welfare League of America
1726 M Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
202-688-4200

Adoption in and of itself warrants special knowledge on the part of professionals who assist adoptive families. But as more and more children are past infancy when placed into adoption, the family tasks and challenges become more complex, warranting a highly specialized set of insights and skills for professional success in assisting and treating these families.

The Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships’ Community Program Directory provides public access to statewide resources that are designed to support family success and keep children safe. The programs and services listed are funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families’ Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships (DPCP).  The Division is built on and comprised of best-practices and technical-assistance teams committed to building partnerships with the goal of developing a robust network of prevention support and services that are culturally responsive, strength-based and family centered.
This directory is updated regularly and available online at www.nj.gov/dcf

This handbook was created by The Department of Children and Families (DCF) / The Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P) formerly known as DYFS to help families involved with the DCP&P whose children have been placed in foster care. Families need to know why children have been removed from their parents’ care, what to expect when this happens, and how and when their children can return home.
Because your child is now in placement, it is critically important for you to understand what will happen next, what you can expect from DCP&P and the Family Court, and what they will expect of you.
This handbook was written to answer some of the questions that parents ask. It can help to guide the work we will face together in the coming months so that your children can return home safely. However, reading this handbook should not take the place of paying careful attention to the specific details, timelines, and requirements of your own unique family situation.

Prepared by:
State of New Jersey
Department of Children and Families
Division of Youth and Family Services
www.nj.gov/dcf

Many child welfare terms are subject to interpretation. The Glossary identifies commonly held definitions for terms that can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. It defines common acronyms and includes links to information on major Federal legislation and related child welfare terms. The Glossary will be updated as new terminology emerges in the field, as new legislation is enacted, and as child welfare terms take on new meaning. Click here to view the adoption Glossary http://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary/index.cfm

This brochures provides important summer safety tips when kids are
around cars, water and other summer activities.

We are excited to bring you the 2019 New Jersey Resources Directory! The guide is a
comprehensive resource identifying the various programs and services the Department of
Human Services offers to New Jersey residents, caregivers and advocates.
In this guide, a family can find out more information on how to apply for food, income
and employment assistance, as well as health care and much more. A caregiver can get
information on support programs and services to assist them in caring for their loved ones.
And individuals with disabilities and their families can get information on various services that
include in-home supports, vocational rehabilitation, and education.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, you can reach our certified Information and
Referral specialists through the Division of Disability Services toll-free at 1-888-285-3036.

The purpose of this Guide is to provide contact information to families in need of services and to assist them in understanding the resources that may be available to them. The Resource Guide also aims to assist individuals who advocate on behalf of children such as law guardians, CASA volunteers, case managers and others who routinely are called upon to locate services and provide information to families about available resources. The information and resources contained in the Guide are primarily available through State and governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations providing services to poor, low income or underserved families and children.

Prepared by:
Special Education Clinic
Rutgers University School of Law
123 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
973-353-5576