Amherst County, Virginia

WHAT IS THE Children's SERVICES ACT FOR AT-RISK YOUTH AND FAMILIES (CSA)?

In 1993 a Virginia Law provided for the pooling of eight specific funding streams to purchase services for high-risk youth. These funds are returned to the localities with a required state/ local match and are managed by local interagency teams. The act aims to provide high-quality, child-centered, family-focused, cost-effective, community-based services to high-risk youth and their families.

HOW DID IT GET STARTED?

In 1989, the General Assembly became concerned because the cost of residential treatment for high-risk youth increased by approximately 22% yearly. Because of this, a study of children in residential care was conducted. Fourteen thousand records from four different state agencies were examined. Subsequent analysis showed that services were provided to only 4,993 individual children.

In addition, 9 out of 10 of these children returned to their home communities where necessary changes in the child's community environment had not been made. The progress achieved in the residential facility was often lost.

At that point, it was decided that high-quality, less restrictive, community-based services would be provided to these children if the funds were managed locally. There is a local cash match required to access the state CSA funds.

WHICH FUNDING STREAMS WERE PLACED IN THE FUNDS POOL?

• Department of Social Services
• Department of Juvenile Justice
• Department of Education
• Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services
• Other
  
  

WHO MANAGES THE MONEY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL?

Each locality is required to have at least two different interagency teams. They are the Community Policy and Management Team and Family Assessment and Planning Team.

WHO PARTICIPATES ON THE LOCAL TEAMS?

The Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT) is made up of at least one elected or appointed official or his designee and the agency heads or their designees from the local Department of Social Services, School System, Community Services Board (mental health), Court Services Unit (juvenile justice), local Health Department, a parent and, where appropriate, a private provider. This team has administrative and fiscal responsibility for the local fund's pool, developing local policies and procedures, and appointing members of the Family Assessment and Planning Team.

The Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) is comprised of the supervisory level staff from the same agencies as the CPMT as well as the parent and often a private provider. These teams work with the families to develop the Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP).

Suppose the services needed are beyond what is available in the participating agencies, and no other family or community resources are available. The team may purchase them with local CSA pool funds in that case.

WHICH CHILDREN MAY BE SERVED BY THE TEAMS?

In general, the children who would have been served by one of the funding streams placed in the pool are targeted for services through CSA. The children the education funds would have served and the foster care funds placed in the pool are considered "mandated" for assistance. This is because "sum sufficient" language is attached to them in the Federal law and/or the Code of Virginia. This special education and foster care children are the only populations state and local governments are required to appropriate sufficient funds to serve.

ARE THESE THE ONLY CHILDREN WHO MAY BE SERVED?

No! If funds are available, localities may choose to serve other children with emotional or behavioral problems, especially those with multi-agency involvement. Parents may be required to contribute financially toward the cost of CSA-funded services.

HOW DO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACCESS THE TEAMS?

Each locality develops its policies and procedures governing how families access the teams. Some localities allow parents to self-refer, some allow any local agency to bring a case, and many require that one of the agencies on the team be the point of contact for the family. To find the requirements in your locality, you may call any of the members of your CPMT. To contact the Amherst County CSA office, call (434) 946-9398.