The purpose of the Family & Children First Council is to streamline and coordinate existing publicly funded services to help families seeking assistance for their children. This initiative is a partnership of government agencies and community organizations committed to improving the well-being of children and their families. We evaluate and prioritize services, fill service gaps where possible, invent new approaches to achieve better results, and ensure ongoing input from a broad representation of the community. 

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SERVICE COORDINATION

Basic Service Coordination:

A process where immediate daily living needs are identified and resources are provided by the Service Coordinator to assist with those needs. The process encourages them to make helpful, caring connections in the community. 

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Team-Based Service Coordination:  

A process which develops and carries out plans for children, individuals, and their families who have complex needs or need immediate assistance to identify resources for daily living needs. Families who have used traditional services may find Team-Based Service Coordination helpful because it brings all supporting agencies together to assist the family.  The Services Coordination process ensures that services are focused on the needs of the individual and his or her family by making referrals to appropriate agencies and aligning services/community supports.  

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HIGH-FIDELITY WRAPAROUND

The wraparound process is a way to improve the lives of children with complex needs or Multi-System Youth (MSY) and are typically involved with multiple agencies within the county for supports and services (DJFS/MHAS/Behavioral Health/School Intervention/Juvenile Court, etc.).  It is not a program or a type of service, but a team-based planning process used to develop plans of care that are individualized, and based on the strengths and culture of the children and their family. 

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The plan is NEEDS-DRIVEN rather than service-driven, and includes a team of people that support the youth, including formal (professionals) and informal (family & community members) supports. 

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