What to Expect
Once a child has been referred by PerformCare to Ocean Partnership for Children (OPC), Ocean County’s Care Management Organization (CMO), a Care Manager will make arrangements to meet with the family. During this meeting, the early stages of an individual service plan will develop which will take into account the family’s strengths, values, culture and preferences.
A Care Manager will facilitate regular meetings called Child and Family Team Meetings. Care Managers coordinate service providers and resources for the child and family as needed, modifying the individual service plan to improve its effectiveness over time to help the child and family reach their vision.
Crisis and safety plans will be developed which outline interventions and supports that the family and other team members can use during a crisis. OPC offers 24/7 Crisis on-call service to our children and families.
The Child and Family Team & the Care Manager
The Care Manager will work with a family to help build a team consisting of individuals who know the child and family best, and who are willing to make a commitment to do whatever it takes to help them achieve positive outcomes.
This team will consist of the child’s Caregiver, the Care Manager, formal service providers such as therapists and community providers, and natural or informal supports. A Child and Family Team (CFT) will change and evolve over time and as the needs of the child and family change.
One of the first accomplishments of the Care Manager working with this CFT will be to create a Crisis Plan. A Crisis Plan is a plan specifically tailored to the types of crisis experienced in the past by the child and family, and will contain interventions and supports for handling a child in crisis. These plans are often readdressed as time goes by and the child and family changes.
The next important step is the development of the Individual Service Plan, or the ISP. Using “Wraparound values” and our skills in strength-based planning, a service plan with sound, structured goals will be created using input from all team members. These plans are designed to be family-friendly and will change to meet the needs of the family. At each CFT meeting, which will occur about every sixty days, the ISP will be updated and the goals and services will be reviewed with all team members. Plans will be made to help a family achieve independence by moving to community linkages whenever possible.
The Care Manager will be responsible for coordinating all care needed for the child and family. Care Managers do not provide therapy; they facilitate and coordinate the CFT process. Care Managers will guide a family through their journey with the CMO with respect, competency and dedication.
Community Resources
Using the creativity and input from the Child and Family Team, informal community supports and services will be identified for the family. Ocean Partnership has a staff dedicated to seeking out both traditional and non-traditional resources to help a family become more strongly connected to their community and move toward independence.
Natural and informal supports are those who work with a child and family as volunteers or as caring community members. Examples of these individuals can be coaches, teachers, faith-based representatives, Big Brothers or Big Sisters, neighbors, relatives, friends, or others key individuals.
The Community Resource staff at OPC develops and maintains a database of resources where families can locate basic needs such as food, clothing, healthcare, recreation and assistance with other quality of life issues. This can be found at the following website: http://www.oceanresourcenet.org/.
Eligibility
Ocean Partnership for Children, Inc. serves youth with behavioral, mental health, substance use, intellectual, and developmental needs primarily up to 21. Generally, children deemed appropriate for CMO level of services are “multi-system” involved, meaning that they have been involved with two or more system partners which can include the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Juvenile Justice, intellectual/developmental needs, substance use, or the mental health systems. If there is a child you believe to be a candidate for our services, call PerformCare for assessment at 1-877-652-7624.