Adolescent Services

Adolescent Services or the Adolescent Team is a multidisciplinary team made up of case managers whose work specializes in youth in conflict behaviors (substance use, delinquency charges, family systems issues). Due to the presenting behaviors, cases on the Adolescent team often come through referrals from families who request services or through the juvenile delinquency court by way of court ordered out of home placement assessments or delinquent reviews.

Primary duties include:

• attending court hearings,
• engaging  and conducting interviews with youth and families,
• writing formal reports for the court,
• meeting with community agencies,
• educating families about and referring them to community services/agencies,
• advocating for youth and families in settings such as school and court,
• making referrals to placement agencies if looking for placements for youth in MCDHS custody,
• conducting a minimum of monthly home visits with youth and families,
• attending Family Engagement Meetings and Permanency Round Table Meetings,
• partnering with multiple systems and agencies to ensure the best interest of the youth and family and for collaboration and continuity of care (this may  be across the county, in other counties, or nationwide),
• maintaining up-to-date records in the case file for the youth and family (including school reports, medical and dental records, therapy reports, service authorizations), and
• documenting visits and meetings with families and communication with service providers.

The Adolescent Team may be involved with families voluntarily or by order of the court. Some of the families served by the Adolescent team are also involved in the juvenile victim court through a Dependency and Neglect case. Families may be involved for a short time, through a 60 day assessment. They may also be involved for a longer period through an ongoing in home or out of home case.