STATE OF NEVADA - Division of Child and Family Services

Systemic Factor E: Service Array and Resource Development
Item 35: Array of services
Goal: The State will ensure there is an array of services available that:
• Assess the strengths and meets the needs of children and families,
• Determine other service needs,
• Address the needs of families in addition to individual children to create a safe home environment,
• Enable children to remain safely with their parents when reasonable, and
• Help children in foster and adoptive placements achieve permanency.
One objective under this item is that the State will seek out external sources of support (i.e. Technical Assistance) to
improve the State’s service array. During 2009, the Division sought and received Technical Assistance from the National
Resource Centers (NRC) regarding service array. The National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement
(NRCOI) assisted Nevada with completion of Washoe County’s Service Array Assessment process. This assessment
used the talents of nearly 40 members of the community, including the WCDSS Advisory Board Members. At this time,
Washoe County has completed the process and the NRCOI indicated that this process was very effective. Several
workgroups were convened to address the deficiencies found. These workgroups focused on the following three items:
1) Enhancing the service Capacity of Families to Provide for Foster Children; 2) Meeting the Educational Needs of Foster
Children; and 3) Meeting the Physical and Mental Health Needs of Foster Children. Despite the success in this review,
implementation of these strategies will continue to present a challenge considering specific budget cuts and their impact
on local community services. Next, the NRCOI will be working with the State to complete the process in the DCFS-Rural
Region. The ongoing technical assistance received from the NRCOI has been instrumental to the success of this item.
To reach the overall goals, the State has the primary objective of reviewing the effectiveness and level of sufficiency of the
service array, including assessment of several key elements. These include: 1) Placing and maintaining children in safe
environments; 2) Enabling children to remain home safely when reasonable; 3) Helping children in foster care and
adoptive homes achieve timely permanency; 4) Supporting adoptive families after placement and finalization; and 5)
Helping youth prepare for independent living. Each of these areas will be addressed as separate sections below.
Family Preservation Services (Title IV-B Subpart 2 Services):
Family Preservation Services programs are characterized by high intensity, immediately accessible treatment and
ancillary services for at-risk children and families. The goals of Family Preservation Services’ programs are to reduce the
risk of child abuse/neglect and thus eliminate unnecessary out-of-home placement of children and to strengthen the family
to better care for the developmental needs of their children. Program staff provides crisis intervention, clinical
assessment, and family preservation services to a protective services population in nine areas: Washoe County, Clark
County, Carson City, Fallon, Wells, Pahrump, Mesquite, Elko and Ely.
Clark County utilizes an array of prevention services to help children at risk of abuse and neglect to remain safely with
their families. These services include flexible funding to support families in areas such as rent, utilities, apartment deposit,
bus tokens, food vouchers and other basic needs, and contract services with community agencies. Drug court remains
another option for families where substance abuse is a contributing factor to child abuse or neglect. Clark County
maintains collaboration with community agencies, such as Safe House and Safe Nest, to provide services to high-risk
families of domestic violence. Parent training classes are offered through numerous community agencies, as well as
through the Clark County Parenting Project.
Family Preservation services in Washoe County include strength-based treatment utilizing pro-social adaptive behavior
modification techniques to teach clients to change socially and personally maladaptive behavior; individual and group
counseling to assist clients and their children to adopt strategies and behaviors that sustain recovery and maintain daily
functioning including conflict resolution; couples and family therapy; supportive and instructive interventions to address life
management needs; case management; assistance to families who were involved with or at-risk of becoming involved
with child welfare agencies; assessments of strengths and needs of clients related to life and home management skills;
development of individualized plans based on assessment results and client assistance in job seeking, resume
development and application for employment.
Community providers receiving IV-B funds are a primary source for pre-placement services for the DCFS Rural Region
Nevada APSR – SFY 2010
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