Mission

The Cumberland Gloucester Salem Family Support Organization is devoted to ensuring that families of children with special emotional and behavioral challenges are provided with compassionate, community-based and culturally sensitive care. We are dedicated to providing families with family-oriented and youth guided support, education and advocacy.

Responsibilities of Our Organization

Support

We provide intensive face-to-face support to families and caregivers at the time and place that is most convenient for them. We also provide support by phone, when convenient for the family. We attend Child-Family team meetings, Individual Education Plan meetings and other pertinent meetings regarding the child and family. We also assist families in critical situations, such as entering a hospital or detention facility.

Education

We provide education to our families and communities. We educate families on an individual basis as needed. For example, a family may request information on a certain medication or type of treatment. We will coordinate lectures given by our staff or other professionals for our families. In addition, we provide education forums for the community to address the needs of children and families.

Advocacy

We provide advocacy in many forums. On an individual basis, we advocate for our families' needs. In addition, we advocate for families as a whole within the various systems which include Juvenile Justicce, DYFS, Mental Health, Education and Medicaid. We also advocate at the state and federal levels. We attend pertinent meetings and hearings. We strive to ensure that the family Voice is heard at all levels.

History

The Children's Initiative was designed in 1995 by a team of family members of challenged children. In their opinion, the current system of care was not proving succesful for the most difficult children and their families. They found that children were entering the system and staying involved in the system for a long period of time. They also discovered that families did not have the opportunity to participate in the care and services their children received. The plan was to design a children's initiative unique to New Jersey and our population.

There are a total of fifteen Family Support Organizations in the state of New Jersey. Each area has a Family Support Organization and a Care Management Organization. Although the roles and responsibilities of the Family Support Organization and the Care Management Organization are unique, we work as a team to meet the immediate and long-term needs of families as we support, educate and empower.

The Family Support Organization is a private, non-profit organization here to work toward making the system family friendly and responsive to the needs of children and their families. Our staff members are all parents or guardians of children who have experienced emotional, behavioral or mental health complexities.