The early intervention plan, as submitted by the Early Intervention Team, is as follows:
Early Invention Plan
The purpose of this document is to establish a community services plan for early intervention to provide services to adjudicated delinquents, alleged delinquents, or children identified to be at risk of becoming delinquents or children in need of services in Bartholomew County, Indiana.
The Early Intervention Team consisted of: Juvenile Referee Jim Holland, Chief Probation Officer, Victor Parker, Child Welfare Supervisor, Helen Jackson, Bill Barton representing Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, Amy Keller representing Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation, Eugene Eckrote and Joe Bill Whipker representing the Bartholomew County Council, Cindy Helmich representing Step Ahead,(Shirley Arney representing Quinco Community Health Center, Therese Farley, CASA director, and County Director Keith Weedman, (Hereafter, referred to as “the team”).
The team reviewed and considered existing publicly and privately funded programs that are available or that could be made available in the county to provide supportive services to or for the benefit of children above described without removing the children from the family home.
The programs reviewed were:
After care services
Alcohol and drug education program
Alternative education programming
Anger management
CASA and GAL services
Case management services
Community Based Family Resource
Community service work
Crisis intervention services
Custody home studies
Day treatment services
Detention services
Developmental services
Diagnostic and evaluation services
Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Fund
Emergency shelter care services
Family Planning of Central and Southern Indiana
Family Services of Bartholomew Co.
First Steps Program
Flat Rock-Hawcreek Family Center
Head Start
Healthy Families Program
Home based services
Home based services funded through Medicaid Rehabilitation Option
Homemaker services
House arrest
Independent living skills training
Job search and job retention services
Local Prevention Services Coalitions
Mentoring
Out patient counseling services
Parent/child interactions
Parenting classes
Preventative care services
Recreational activities
Respite care
Sexual Offense Services Prevention grant
Short term emergency psychiatric care
Study groups
Supervised visitation
Teen Court
Work crew
Youth Challenge Program
Youth Services Bureau
The objectives of the plan are:
1. Promoting the welfare of children and self sufficiency of families, with children at risk of abuse or neglect, dependency, or delinquency;
2. Preventing or reducing the number of cases of child abuse, delinquency, or neglect that may require juvenile court intervention;
3. Coordinating available resources to promote efficiency and avoid duplication of programs and services;
4. Reducing or minimizing the cost of providing services to children and families with children who are or may become delinquent children; and
5. Reducing or eliminating to the extent possible the need to remove children from their parents, guardians, or custodians for foster home care or institutional placement.
The team shall meet, at least, annually.
The team recommends the following:
1. The Step Ahead Council must take a leading role in coordinating the community’s efforts to intervene earlier in the lives of children at risk. The council could possibly become a clearing house, or establish one, concerning services to children. The council should encourage agencies to come together to address the community’s needs. Cooperation between ail agencies affecting children must be encouraged. Whenever possible, eliminate duplicity of services and case managers.
2. There should be a coordinated community effort to follow up on referrals made to the Bartholomew County Office of Family and Children (OFC) and the Probation Department when they do not become formally involved with the child because of unsubstantiated abuse, neglect or delinquency. The Probation Department and OFC should make referrals to other agencies and programs in the community at en early stage in the child's fife rather than waiting for the problems to escalate.
3. We support the efforts of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation and Flatrock Hawcreek School Corporation to design a program to address non attendance issues in the community. Bartholomew County needs one (1) or more full time attendance officers to cooperate with law enforcement and other agencies to keep children in school.
4. The Bartholomew County Office of Family and Children and Probation Department should work closely with other community agencies.
5. The Bartholomew County Department of Public Health needs to be responsive to issues involving children when requested.
6. First Call for Help should be incorporated into early Intervention efforts.
7. Wise use of fiscal resources should always be an underlying theme in all efforts made toward early intervention.
(Council Res. 98-14, passed - -1998)