Family Support Services is an intensive in-home, community-based program
that focuses on helping families stay together. The program is designed to provide a safe alternative to out-of-home placement of children and adolescents who are at risk for abuse, neglect or other serious family issues.
Family Support Services is a support system for families who need a hand keeping problems from becoming a crisis. Families are offered help with issues including managing child behavior, learning effective parenting skills, budgeting and managing a household, obtaining mental health or medical services, finding employment, dealing with school and teachers, and working with family service providers.
The goal of Family Support Services is to empower the family to take charge of their own lives. Families are encouraged to live within their means and develop the skills to appropriately address the many difficulties that arise in raising children today.
Who Qualifies for Family Support Services
Only families who have an open case with Bedford/Cambria/Somerset County Children and Youth Services or the Bedford/Cambria/Somerset County Juvenile Probation Office are eligible to receive Family Support Services. The county agency caseworker, juvenile probation officer, or a County Court Judge will decide whether Or not Family Support Services are needed, and to what extent.
Family Specialists work closely with both the referring agency staff and the family to ensure child safety, promote cooperation, and assess the progress of the family while services are provided.
What can Families Expect?
Family Specialists will work with all family members to create positive changes within the family. By doing so, parents and children learn to maintain healthy relationships, build on existing strengths, and develop the skills needed to keep children safe and the family together.
Many times parents and children feel powerless. They lack hope or believe that their lives cannot change for the better. Family Support Services help families take control. A Family Specialist will be assigned to each family. He or she will make weekly home visits at which time they will use various teaching, therapeutic, and problem-solving techniques to help the family identify and develop goals towards improving their home life. Concentration will be upon the family’s strengths and encouragement of family members toward making positive changes.
Extra help is offered through a variety of support groups and community activities involving families in similar situations. Parents can participate in weekly parent support groups, anger management groups, monthly family activities, and community based programs that promote family unity and cooperation.
Children and adolescents will also be able to participate in activities to enhance social skills and peer relationships. Families, including children, are encouraged to build relationships within the community and school. Those relationships are primary to the health, welfare, and safety of every family member.
For more information call
Bedford County Children and Youth Services at (814) 623-4804
Bedford County Juvenile Probation at (814) 623-4830
ACRP Family Support Services in Bedford County at (814) 623-1212
ACRP Bedford Office 220 S. Thomas Street Bedford, PA 15522
Cambria County Children and Youth Services at (814) 539-7454
Cambria County Juvenile Probation at (814) 472-4700
ACRP Family Support Services in Cambria County at (814) 536-6141
Cambria County Office 726 Franklin Street Johnstown, PA 15901
Somerset County Children and Youth Services at (814) 445-1600
Somerset County Juvenile Probation at (814) 445-1600
ACRP Family Preservation Services in Somerset County at (814) 445-1717
