A study of a family preservation/family support program in Region 12 of Coastal Southeast Georgia

This study was an evaluation of Case Management Services at a Social Service Organization in Region 12 of Chatham County. The Organization provides services to help families resolve issues so they can remain together. Knowing if a family is functioning in ways that will cause or create some harm to a child will always be of utmost importance to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Juvenile Justice because they focus on children's health and welfare. If a family crisis comes to the attention of any of the above, a decision about the type of intervention is determined to protect a child at risk for abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Learning ways to work with families is critical for social service clinicians. If the intervention method is not effective or appropriate for the kind of crisis happening, the ultimate result will be further abuse, neglect, and abandonment, which will be detrimental to the children and families involved as well as to the communities.;The qualitative method was used to help determine the results of this study. Data collection consisted of the participants taking a self-administered questionnaire. It was used to record their responses regarding the impact of the Organization's Case Management Services on reducing out-of-home placement of youth in Chatham County. The questionnaire also inquired about the participants' perceptions about case management services received from the Organization. Parents and caretakers whose families received case management services from the Organization during the last 6 months completed the questionnaire.;The results of this study indicate that the majority of the parents and or guardians found that all of the services were beneficial, the staff was helpful, and they would recommend the program to other parents. Therefore, the clients had very positive perceptions of the services and program provided.;Participants responses indicate that the Organization collects assessment information at the end of the program to evaluate their current practices and services, which help staff to make improvements to the way in which they identify family stressors and determine the length of time services, are provided. An overwhelming majority of participants believe that there is enough staff to help their family in a crisis situation during or after office hours. Furthermore, the results indicate that treatment planning include the length of time services are or can be provided to clients, although the results do not support that follow-up support occurs after case closure. Finally, the results indicate that none of the participants whose case had been closed had their case re-opened in the past 12 months.;The results also indicate that the most common reason for a child to be placed outside of the home was because of incarceration at a juvenile detention center, which is not a permanent placement. These discoveries suggest that the Organization's Case Management Services offer assistance to families that help them resolve crisis in order for them to remain together instead of foster care placement occurring. In fact, none of the evidence suggests that any of the children were placed into foster care.;Key Words: client, clinician, foster care, maltreatment, caretaker, Region 12, Organization...