Family Preservation Programming

Partnering with referrals from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), OMNI provides home based services that keep children safe while strengthening families and helping them stay together. Services include in-home counseling and case management services for abused and neglected children and their families, in addition to support and skill building for teenage wards of the state who are pregnant or already parents. The primary responsibility for all Family Preservation Staff is the “Safety and Well-being of Children/Youth”.

All Family Preservation employees must attend an intensive child welfare training. Upon completion of this training, prospective child welfare workers must pass an entailed licensing exam and CERAP (Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol) exam. In addition, prospective case workers must pass an extensive background check.

InTact Family Services

The InTact Family Services Program provides strength based case management services to families that have been identified by DCFS as safe, but at risk for abuse and/or neglect. Case managers carry a case load of ten (10) families.  Each case manager is bilingual (English/Spanish).  Services are provided for a period of three months to one year. Services are usually provided in the home, giving staff the opportunity to assess each family’s needs, as well as their strengths.

Some services provided by InTact are as follows:

• Work with open DCFS cases and DCFS investigators
• Assure the safety and well-being of children, assess home safety
• Meet all DCFS mandates as set by the State of Illinois and the United States Federal Government
• Facilitate services to assist in maintaining the family unit, coordinating counseling, assisting with youth in school
• Complete all required paperwork within the required timelines as set by DCFS Procedures and Protocols
• Prepare all required court documents
• Appear and testify in court

Teen Parenting Service Network (TPSN) TPSN staff members provide specialized case management services to adolescent wards of the State of Illinois that are either pregnant and/or parenting. Case managers provide services to eight (8) to ten (10) adolescents, ensuring they receive the services they need to be successful. Program staff link clients and their children to community resources and services, assuring they receive all the necessary services to achieve their court ordered goals.  In essence, case managers are surrogate parents to these teens.

Some services provided by TPSN are as follows:

• Provide intensive case management for DCFS wards and their children
• Assure the safety and well-being of DCFS wards and their children
• Meet all DCFS mandates as set by the State of Illinois and the United States Federal Government
• See clients and their caregivers a minimum of two (2) times per month for at least five (5) hours every month
• Facilitate services to assist DCFS youth in moving into Independent Living
• Complete all required paperwork within the required timelines as set by DCFS Procedures and Protocols
• Attend all meetings as related to the care and service provision of youth in DCFS custody
• Prepare all required court documents
• Appear and testify in court
• Be an active advocate for these youth as related to what is in their best interest
• Provide supervised visitation between youth and the families they have been removed from, while assisting these youth to maintain family connections

For more information, please contact Charlene Blackmore, Manager of Family Preservation at (847) 353-1792 or cblackmore@omniyouth.org.