Children can be placed out of their homes for many different reasons, including reasons pertaining to abuse or neglect, mental health, developmental disabilities, juvenile delinquency, or a school Committee on Special Education. There are approximately a 160 children currently placed in foster care in Cortland County.  When considering the costs of all out of home placements in 2010, Cortland County paid approximately 5 million dollars.

County leaders, along with a number of community services providers, have long recognized the need for innovative and cost efficient solutions to meet the needs of families and children within our community. After studying models in place in New York State and across the nation, Cortland County launched the Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative (CCSI) in November, 2010.

CCSI is an innovative approach to working with families who need help from a variety of service systems.  Children referred to CCSI are at risk of placement, or have already been placed out of their home. They are often identified as those most challenging to serve and who are often passed from one agency to another.  Frequently, families receive services from two or more systems and there is a need for coordination among service providers.

CCSI incorporates a three-tiered approach:

• Family-based Tier I teams are interagency teams, family members and natural supports that are assembled to work with a child and family to develop an individualized, strength-based family support plan and to coordinate interagency services.
• Community-based Tier II includes county government leaders, community service providers, school officials, and parents.  Tier II serves as the local over sight body for all CCSI activities and works toward implementation of goals and principles, facilitates linkages between service systems, addresses barriers to service delivery and assures continuation of funding locally. 
•  Commissioners Committee on Cross Systems Services is a statewide board comprised of state agencies serving children and youth, along with parent and youth partners, which meets regularly to review and implement systems change at the State level.

The purpose of CCSI is similarly aligned to some of the goals of the Cortland Area Communities that Care (CACTC) because initiatives attempt to develop a more stable and healthy environment for the children and youth in Cortland County. CCSI brings families and service providers together to create a coordinated, comprehensive and strength-based family plan that utilizes multiple systems.  It is through this coordinated approach that families receive the support that they need to stay together.

Building relationships and coordination among service providers and family support systems is the goal of CCSI.  There are currently nineteen community agencies directly involved and actively participating in monthly community-based Tier II meetings.  Agencies include members from schools, mental health organizations, Probation, Department of Social Services, and various other agencies within our community. Together these and other organizations within the community have worked closely and cooperatively with CCSI and participated in family team meetings.  CCSI also invites new providers within the community to become involved. 

Since the creation of the CCSI program, it has served twenty eight families with children at risk of placement or experiencing a need for coordination amongst multiple service providers and has saved more than $300,000 in placement costs if these children had been placed in foster care.  Through the hard work of families, community members, and service providers, the community is better meeting the needs of families, improving outcomes, and working to eliminate the cost and emotional trauma of out of home placements to our youth. 

Christopher Driscoll can be reached at 428-5487. He is the director of Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative, in the County Office Building, room 102.