In - Home Service Program

In- Home Service Program

The In-Home Services Program (IHSP) aims to prevent the necessity of placing children away from their families by providing home-based family-centered services that help create positive, long-term changes within the family. It is a crisis intervention and family education program providing a variety of services to families in their own home. Services are individualized to meet each family's unique needs.

The "family preservation" program which serves families in which at least one family member under the age of 18 is at imminent risk of out-of-home placement. These can be families of youths in conflict at home, at school, or with the law; families at risk due to abuse, neglect or dependency; and/or families with children with emotional or behavioral dysfunction.

The "reunification" program seeks to reunite the family whose child is in Department of Social Services placement.

Services include family assessment, intensive family and individual counseling, client advocacy, case management, development and enhancement of parenting and other skills, and referral for other services as appropriate.

Each client-family can receive up to 20 hours of service per week for six weeks. Program staff are available to each eligible family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Goals of the In-Home Services Program are to:

Prevent family dissolution and the placement of children out-of-home or to return placed children to a safe and stable home
Strengthen and maintain client-families
Reduce client dependency on social services, promote self sufficiency
Stabilize the crisis which put the child at imminent risk

Criteria for Admission

Counselors are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If the primary caseworker is out of town or on leave, a backup counselor's telephone number is provided to the family in case of a crisis. All services are provided at no cost to the family and in a cultural competent manner. The child must be 17 years or younger and not married or emancipated.

Services include but are not limited to:

Family assessment as to strengths, resources, needs and problems
Intensive (usually in-home) family and individual counseling
Client advocacy with agencies and services in the community
Training in parenting skills with modeling behavior and practice sessions as needed
Concrete services as appropriate Referral and consultation

Reunification Referrals
Available in Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Swain, and Transylvania Counties

The Reunification Program accepts referral from the DSS when the child has been taken into custody by DSS. Services can last for 12 months but no longer than 15 months after the child was taken into custody. Services must be done with the parent/caregiver who had custody at the time the child was taken into DSS custody. All Parents/Caregivers in the home must agree to participate.

The child has been taken into custody due to child abuse, neglect or dependency.

Responses to referrals are made immediately following the Treatment Team's meeting. The Treatment Team develops a Service Plan. The Service Plan is a plan to resolve the issues that caused DSS to remove the child and reunite the child with the family.

Services are provided for up to a year with face-to-face contact as needed to resolve the issues. Supervisory support and consultation is available to the counselor 24/7. At least one hour per week is spent in case review with the program supervisor. Counselors provide supervision of family visits and transportation of child(ren) to visits with the caregivers. Counselors provide referring agency with reports on the family's progress.

Intensive Referrals
Available in Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Swain, and Transylvania Counties

The Intensive Family Service Program is designed to meet the needs of a family where one or more of the children are at imminent risk of out of home placement. Child cannot be out of family care longer than two weeks. This service can be done with any willing caregiver but at least one parent/caregiver in the home must agree to participate.

Referrals can come from DSS, Juvenile Justice, or Mental Health. For DSS referrals imminent risk includes substantiation of neglect and/or abuse and a rating of "High Risk? on at least one child. In Mental Health cases, imminent risk is determined if the child has a CAFAS score greater than 60. Juvenile Justice referrals must document adjudication.

Response to referrals and a family visit is expected within 24 hours and must be made within 48 hours. If the family is accepted, services are to begin immediately.

Services are provided for up to six weeks with up to 10 hours face-to-face contact per week. The caseworker is available 24/7 with supervisory support and consultation at any time. At least one hour per week is spent in case review with the program supervisor.

Aftercare is provided.

Less Intensive Referrals
Available in Clay, Graham, and Macon Counties

The Non-Intensive Family Service Program is designed to meet the needs of a family where one or more of the children are at risk for current or future role dysfunction in the home or community. This could be due to a variety of socio-cultural, physical, psychological and academic factors. At least one parent/caregiver in the home must agree to participate.

Appropriate referral sources include DSS, MH/DD/SAS programs, Juvenile Court Services, schools, and other community agencies. Self-referrals may also be accepted.

Response to referrals and a family visit is expected within three days. If the family is accepted, services are to begin immediately. If the family cannot be served immediately, they will be placed on a waiting list if appropriate.

Services are provided for up to six months with face-to-face contact as needed. The caseworker is available 24/7 with supervisory support and consultation at any time. At least on hour per week is spent in case review with the program supervisor.

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