Background 

Integrated Children’s Services Planning is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and encompasses a comprehensive approach to serving children, birth to 21 years of age, through programs that focus on long-term prevention, early intervention, services that support family stability, child safety, community protection and healthy child development.  The Integrated Children’s Services Planning process is an integral first step towards building a holistic approach to provide services for the individual and his or her family.

 

What Does Integrated Children's Services Planning Looks Like in Adams County?

In Adams County, ICSP calls for all child-serving systems within a county to plan together for one system in which appropriate services can be accessed regardless of what "door" a child may initially enter.  Although the integration is initially concentrated in the county mandated service areas, the goal of integration is to bring together all resources that serve children and families. 

 

Currently, Adams County’s integration of children’s services involves collaboration among many areas: child welfare, juvenile justice, permanency planning, early intervention, mental retardation services, behavioral health services, drug and alcohol services, child care and education. In 2010, the ICSP team began to seek meaningful coordination and cooperation with services provided by local school districts, child care centers,  physical health care services, churches, and other public benefits programs (such as food stamps) that are not directly led by county governments.

 

ICSP Goals

One of the primary goals of the integrated plan is to strengthen planning efforts in service programs that historically may not have planned together.  By working together, we can ensure the coordination and consolidation (ultimately the integration of program administration and resource allocation) of for children and families.

 

The ultimate goal of the Integrated Children’s Service Plan is to ensure the best outcomes for children, families and communities. By integrating the service coordination and delivery role in Adams County, children and families will not have to jump through multiple hoops to receive appropriate services. Families will be able to access multiple services based on need, regardless of what door they enter, and they will have the option to choose a single case conferencing process to receive these services.

 

Adams County plans prevention services based on priorities determined through community assessments, leading to healthier young people within safer families and communities. The Adams County ICSP team is committed to the vision of a fully integrated service system whereby one can enter the system through any door and obtain the services that they may need or want, in an integrated fashion.

 

The Adams County ICSP team believes that by the end of fiscal year 2011-2012, Adams County will have:

• Well-established training programs

• Integrated and comprehensive screening

• Assessment and case planning for multi-system clients

• Prevention programming that is developed and sustained to support community priorities for child well being, healthy youth development, and community safety.

• Cultural competency infused into child serving systems and programs, and

• Funding priorities reflective of the needs of children and families, based on data and trends.

 

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