Purpose
The purpose of service coordination is to provide a venue for families requiring services where their needs may not have been adequately addressed in traditional agency systems. Each system has areas of responsibility, and this Service Coordination Mechanism is not intended to override current agency systems, but to supplement and enhance what currently exists. Service coordination should build upon the strength of services in our communities that are already working for families. The service coordination process will provide access to existing services and supports, both formal and informal, and, when appropriate, propose new services, supports and/or strategies to be added in order to address unmet needs.
Service coordination is a collaborative, coordinated, cross-system team planning process implemented to address the needs of families with multiple and complex needs. The process is family-focused and strengths-based. It is responsive to the culture, race and ethnicity of the family. Therefore, it results in a unique set of community services and natural supports individualized for the child and family and it is based on the child and family’s perceptions of their strengths and needs to achieve a positive set of outcomes. The goal of this process is to assist families in building a system of natural supports so to gradually reduce family reliance on formal systems as it becomes appropriate.
Target Population
The target population includes any child ages 0 through 21 with multi-systemic needs whose service and support needs are not being adequately met while seeking assistance outside of the Service Coordination Mechanism.
Referral Process
Any family with a child in the target population may access the county Service Coordination Mechanism through the Family & Children First Council (FCFC). This includes, but is not limited to, agencies, schools, juvenile justice, and families voluntarily seeking services.
To initiate the service coordination process, a complete Service Coordination Referral form (Addendum A) and Informed Consent for Release & Exchange of Information (Addendum B) must be made to the Fulton County Family and Children First Council Coordinator. The contact information for the Coordinator is below:
Karen Pennington
606 S. Shoop Avenue
Wauseon, OH 43567
419-337-0915
Fax: 419-337-0561
The following are appropriate referrals to Service Coordination Mechanism:
· A family whose child is age 0 through 21 and has multiple needs.
· A child/family that is unable to access needed services.
· A child/family experiencing a problem with the coordination of existing services. It is important that before a referral is made, the lead agency has worked collaboratively with the family and they have attempted to provide the necessary services to the family. If these attempts have not yielded the needed results, then a referral may be made.
· A child who is at-risk of being removed from his/her home or school.
· A child who has been emergently removed from his/her home (see procedure for addressing these children below.)