Office
of Children's Services
1 JFK Square
Administration Building - 5th Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732/745-3290 Fax: 732/296-7971
wanda.dillon@co.middlesex.nj.us
The
Middlesex County Division of Behavioral Health & the Office of Children's
Services provides assistance with Children's Mental Health Administration,
targeting the following:
- Identifying the
behavioral health care needs of youth up to age 18;
- Services for
young adults ages 18-21 who are moving to the adult system with service
histories through Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), the
Division of Child Behavioral Health Services (DCBHS), or the Juvenile
Justice system;
- Information and
referral to consumers and families regarding the continuum of care
for children with special emotional and behavioral issues.
The
Middlesex County Office of Children's Services has administrative
oversight of the Council for Children's Services (CCS). The CCS since
1995 has merged the functions of the Youth Services Commission (YSC),
County Interagency Coordinating Council (CIACC), Commission on Child
Abuse and Missing Children, and the Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalition
(JCEC) to serve Middlesex County youth more comprehensively. The CCS
focuses on identifying and planning for the unmet needs and gaps in
services for youth across child serving entities, and the implementation
of youth programs in Middlesex County.
Middlesex
County established the Family Court and Re-Entry Multi Disciplinary
Teams (MDTs) in 1996. The MDT Family Court recommends specific services
to Family Court judges for individual juveniles charged as delinquent;
services that act as an alternative to detention; and services as a
disposition option, upon adjudication of delinquency. The MDT Re-Entry
Committee provides support during a juvenile's transition back into
the community following release from a secure JJC facility/residential
program. Juveniles involved with MDT Re-Entry receive support through
community based services and supervision. Both MDT components are part
of the management structure of the Office of Children's Services. The
MDTs comprise court personnel, court officers, mandated youth organizations
and a MDT Coordinator. The MDT Coordinator refers youth for services,
including drug & alcohol, and mental health evaluations; maintains
a database of clients and services; and administers Family Court Client
Specific funds. The MDT Family Court Coordinator acts as a resource
person for the Family Court judges and juvenile probation. The MDT Re-Entry
Coordinator serves as a resource person for JJC transitional services
and juvenile parole.
The
Office of Children's Services administers the following grant funds
from the State Division of Child Behavioral Healthcare Services (DCBHS)
and New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) for allocation.
- Juvenile Accountability
Block Grant (JABG) - funding provided through the JJC
- State Community
Partnership & Family Court Appropriations - funding provided through
the JJC
- State Incentive
Program (SIP) - funding provided through the JJC to support a day
treatment alternative to juveniles as an alternative to incarceration
- Youth Incentive
Program (YIP) Community Development - funded through DCBHS to provide
community treatment options
COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES
The
following committees operate under the auspices of the Middlesex County
Council for Children's Services:
Standing
Committees
- Bylaws, Standards,
& Membership:
Prepares revisions of bylaws and advises the Council on compliance
with relevant statutes, regulations and standards. The Committee recommends
individuals for membership to the Council and monitors attendance.
Meetings are scheduled as needed.
- CIACC (County
Intragency Coordinating Council) Advisory:
Supports enhanced coordination at the County level to facilitate the
development and operation of integrated planning for children with
special social and emotional needs and their families through the
involvement of parents, consumers, youth and child serving agencies
as partners. Reviews and provides information to the State Division
of Child Behavioral Healthcare regarding local services and resources
for this population. Meetings are held every 4th Thursday of the
month.
- Executive:
Outlines issues and develops agendas for discussion at Council meetings.
Conducts emergency meetings on business requiring action between Council
meetings. The Committee reviews appeals emanating form the Council
and appoints membership on other standing committees. Meetings
are held every 3rd Thursday of the month.
- Minorities
Issues: Identifies the current needs and trends of minority youth
and families in Middlesex County. The Committee provides advocacy
for youth, the family and the community. The Committee identifies
and supports appropriate services, and sensitizes the Council and
its Committees, families, communities and programs to cultural, racial
and ethnic differences. Meetings are held every 2nd Tuesday of
the month.
- Planning:
Develops needs assessments to identify service gaps. The Committee
also develops a plan of action that determines the types of services
that should be further developed in order to meet identified needs.
The Committee prepares all required plans. Meetings are held the
1st Tuesday of the month.
- Program Review:
Develops and implements the request for funding proposal (RFP) process.
Reviews all applications for funding and submits recommendations to
the Council. Monitors all funded programs and develops and implements
a process to ensure contract compliance. Meetings are held the
1st Thursday of the month.
Ad
hoc Committees
- Family Court
Core Team: Assists in planning and programming for court involved
youth. Meetings are scheduled as needed.
- Prevention:
Advocates for prevention funding services and programs. Meetings
are scheduled as needed.
Commission
on Child Abuse and Missing Children
The Middlesex County
Commission on Child Abuse and Missing Children (CCAMC) develops and
conducts activities and events that educate the public and increase
awareness about child abuse and missing children. The CCAMC arranges
for education programs, including workshops and classes for parents
and children, and disseminates information on services available in
Middlesex County for abused children and their parents, and the parents
of missing children. The commission also participates in municipal events,
such as street fairs, to distribute print information and respond to
questions. Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
For more information
on these committees or membership, please contact the Office of Children's
Services at 732-745-3290 or e-mail childrens.services@co.middlesex.nj.us.
Middlesex County FireWatch Program
The FireWatch
program's mission is to reduce the fire setting activities of youth
in Middlesex County through identification, education, and referral.
If you are concerned about a child and fire setting, call Joanne
Morris at (732) 745-4049, 9:00 am -4:00 pm, Monday through
Friday.
WHO
CAN MAKE A REFERRAL TO THE FIREWATCH PROGRAM?
Parents or guardians,
teachers, police, courts, child protection workers: anyone who is
concerned about a child's fire setting
WHAT
HAPPENS ONCE A REFERRAL IS MADE?
Fire service personnel
affiliated with the FireWatch Program
will explain the program and then schedule an interview for both you
and the child.
The FireWatch
Advisory Committee - local fire service personnel, mental health
providers, and other individuals from child serving agencies - provides
quality assurance for the program. The committee meets monthly and is
currently seeking new members. Individuals interested in joining
the Committee may contact Joanne Morris at (732) 745-3280.
Middlesex County Traumatic Loss Coalition (TLC)
WHO
ARE THEY? Local educators, mental health professionals, law
enforcement, and other individuals from child serving agencies.
WHAT
DO THEY DO? The primary responsibility of the coalition is
to provide assistance to school personnel as they manage significant
losses and traumatic events that impact the school community. The Traumatic
Loss Coalition can dispatch a Lead Response Team to area schools to
run orientation, stabilization and coping groups for staff and students
in the aftermath of traumatic events.
The Traumatic
Loss Coalition:
- Assists schools
in preparing to respond to the mental health needs of their students
following traumatic events
- Identifies a
network of professionals available for support and collaboration during
crisis events
- Provides a forum
for schools to review crisis events and identify service needs
- Provides training
opportunities reflecting the most current knowledge about youth and
trauma
For more information
regarding TLC, please visit: http://www.middlesextlc.com
Or contact:
Donna Amundson,
Program Manager
BRTI, UBHC-UMDNJ
151 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway NJ 08854
ph:(732)235-2810
http://ubhc.umdnj.edu/brti/TLC.htm
Middlesex County Youth Intensive Intervention
Program
Since FY 2006, the
CARRI-YIIP (Youth Intensive Intervention Program)
at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) has
been available to Middlesex County youth residents involved with the
court.
The Middlesex County
Office of Children's Services (OCS) assists in coordinating referrals
to the Youth Intensive Intervention Program.
This program is a collaborative initiative between Middlesex County
and the New Jersey Division of Child Behavioral Health Services to provide
intensive interventions to adolescents and their families involved in
the Middlesex County Juvenile Justice System. Services are designed
for adolescents ages 11 - 18, who are court involved, meet the behavioral
criteria, and who have families in which both the adolescent and guardian
agree to participate in all the components of these services.
YIIP
will provide collaboration and case planning between the juvenile justice
system and other child programs. The adolescents and their families
will be provided with assessment, individual, group and family counseling
sessions, care coordination and personal linkages and referrals.
The program is designed
for youth who meet the behavioral criteria and who are:
- Residing in the
Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center and ready for release;
- At the Middlesex
County Youth Shelter on furlough from the Juvenile Detention Center
and ready for release;
- On Probation.
Applications for
the program are accepted from the following sources:
- Middlesex County
Probation
- Middlesex County
Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT)
- Middlesex County
Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)
- Middlesex County
Youth Case Management (14 day court ordered plans)
- Middlesex County
Family Crisis Intervention Unit (FCIU)
ALSO AVAILABLE
ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES' HOME PAGE IS THE "2006 JUVENILE
AND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES DIRECTORY." For multiple copies
of the directory, please call the Division of Children's Services at:
732-745-3732.
Informational Brochures
are also available upon request at 732-745-3290.
