The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Placements for Children and Youth
Child/Youth Placement Evaluation Programs
Programs that conduct an independent assessment of children and youth in county custody who have been placed in an out-of-home care setting such as a residential treatment center or group home, with the objective of identifying those who may be ready to return to their families (potentially with intensive community based services in their home communities) or who may be able to succeed in a less restrictive setting (e.g., foster care).
Foster Homes for Children With Disabilities
Agency-supervised private family homes that provide alternative family living arrangements for children with developmental disabilities, sensory impairments, physical disabilities or multiple disabilities who are unable to live with their birth parents. The arrangement provides an opportunity for the child with a disability to live with a family in a residential setting.
Foster Homes for Dependent Children
Programs that provide alternative family living arrangements in agency-supervised private family homes for children and youth who have been neglected, abused or abandoned in situations where a children's protective services worker or a court has decided that they cannot live safely at home.
Group Homes for Dependent Children
Facilities that provide an alternative living environment for children and youth who have been neglected, abused or abandoned or have had contact with the juvenile justice system, who are unable to live with their own family or a foster family and who would benefit from a professionally supervised, structured group environment. In some situations, particularly with older youth, a group home is the only option available. Group homes for dependent children are generally licensed by the state.
Programs managed by local organizations serving youth that recruit people who have a spare bedroom and are willing to provide a temporary place to stay for youth in crisis situations who have few options. Many of these residences provide meals and some help with transportation or other needs. Case management and other services may be provided by the agency responsible for the program. Length of stay varies from a couple of nights to 3-6 months. Age requirements for residents also vary, some serving individuals older than age 18 while others can serve younger youth, often 16 years and older. Some programs are youth shelter diversion programs, an alternative to shelters for homeless youth, while host homes in rural areas without shelters may be the only option. And some host homes may serve special groups within the population e.g., homeless youth who identify as LGBTQ.
Arrangements in which the full time care, supervision, nurturing and protection of a minor child is the responsibility of a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other relative, member of the child’s tribe or clan, godparent, stepparent, friend of family or another adult who has a long-standing relationship with the child or the family in situations where the child cannot live with his or her parents. Types of kinship care include informal agreements between family members or with a non-relative; kinship caregiver arrangements in which the caregiver has physical custody but the children’s protective services agency has legal custody; kinship guardian arrangements in which the caregiver has both legal and physical custody; and kinship foster care in which the caregiver is a licensed foster parent and has physical custody of the child while the children’s protective agency has legal custody.
Supervised Living for Older Youth
Programs that help older children in foster care, emancipated youth who are no longer eligible for foster care and/or other youth, usually to age 21, establish residence in private homes, apartments, boarding homes, college dormitories or other residential settings and provide supervision and support while they develop independent living skills.
Agency-supervised private family homes in which foster parents have been trained to provide individualized, structured services in a safe, nurturing family living environment for children and adolescents with significant emotional or behavioral problems who require a higher level of care than is found in a conventional foster home but do not require placement in a more restrictive setting. Therapeutic foster parents receive special training in mental health issues, behavior management and parenting techniques; and implement the in-home portion of the treatment plan with close supervision and support. They serve as integral members of the team of professionals providing services for the child, get the child to therapy and other treatment appointments, write daily notes about interventions and attend treatment team meetings. Therapeutic foster care is considered the least restrictive out-of-home placement for children with severe emotional disorders.
Programs that provide an alternative living environment and mental health treatment services in licensed, non-secure facilities for children and adolescents with significant emotional or behavioral problems who have some capability to engage in community-based activities. Although the types and combinations of treatment vary, treatment services typically include individual, group and family counseling, behavior modification, vocational training, recreational therapy and skill building. Therapeutic group homes are generally licensed by the state; offer a less restrictive treatment environment than residential treatment, but are more restrictive than therapeutic foster care; and are located in the community where residents attend local schools.