SOCIAL SERVICES

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35) amended Title XX of the Social Security Act to establish a Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).

The social services provided by the Department of Human Services through Family and Adult Services and Community Services are among those described in the Block Grant Pre-Expenditure Report published each year. The Department of Human Services is designated by the governor as the agency responsible for the administration of SSBG funds in Rhode Island.

The Department is committed to a goal-oriented social services program which has the capability to avert social and economic dependency and family breakdown through a planned coordinated approach using other agencies as needed either for services provided by them at no cost or purchased from them when the department does not provide them directly.

The objectives of social services are to:

Assist the individual to develop capacities for personal and

economic independence;

Help the individual maintain a sense of individual dignity and

worth;

Enable parents to maintain a home life conducive to the growth

and development of their children; providing adequate care and

supervision; providing the opportunity for adequate health

care, education, vocational training, and participation in

community life in accordance with the capacity of each child;

Protect the well-being of adults and children who are

neglected, abused and exploited; and,

Enable the individual to find and use personal resources or

the resources of family and community to meet his/her needs.

All services are provided in accordance with all applicable

State and Federal laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights

Act of 1965 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,

as well as the DHS policies of nondiscrimination.

0500.10 SOCIAL SERVICES GOALS

REV:07/1990

Federal funds provided through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) are expended to achieve the following National Social Service goals:

Goal I To achieve or maintain economic self-support

to prevent, reduce or eliminate dependency;

Goal II To achieve or maintain self-sufficiency,

including reduction or prevention of

dependency;

Goal III To prevent or remedy neglect, abuse or

exploitation of children and adults unable to

protect their own interests, or preserve,

rehabilitate or reunite families;

Goal IV To prevent or reduce inappropriate

institutional care by providing for community-

based care, home-based care, or other forms of

less intensive care; and

Goal V To secure referrals or admissions for

institutional care when other forms of care

are not appropriate, or provide services to

individuals in institutions.

0500.10.05 Provision of Social Services

REV:07/1990

Services provided directly by the Department of Human Services consist primarily of casework and counseling and include the cost of planning and administration of all SSBG activities and some staff training. They also include the referral to and authorization of contracted services.

Family management and adjustment services help individuals and

families to develop and maintain skills needed for self-

sufficiency and independence. Services may include guidance

in budgeting, child development and marriage counseling and

family planning.

Health services assist people to attain and maintain better

physical and mental health by helping them to identify and

understand their health needs and resources available to them

including the Rhode Island Medical Assistance Program, EPSDT

and Homemaking Services.

Housing services help people to obtain and retain adequate

housing in the community, avert heating and utility shut-offs,

mediate landlord/tenant problems, and address emergency

shelter needs.

Evaluation and assessment consist of a comprehensive study of

clients' social service needs in order to identify problems,

plan and coordinate services, and develop resources.

Information and Referral Services link people with appropriate

community resources and may include crisis intervention and

follow-up activities.

Specialized services are provided to persons who are: blind;

handicapped; retarded and/or developmentally disabled; minor

unmarried parents; and, children or adults in need of

protection from abuse or neglect. In the case of children,

services include referral to and cooperation with the

Department for Children and Their Families.

0500.10.10 Purchase of Services

REV:07/1990

The purchase of service agreements and contracts are negotiated with a number of community agencies and organizations for the provision of specific services.

Homemaking/Personal Care Services and Adult Day Care are

directed at helping people to remain in their own homes and

prevent or avoid institutionalization. Community non-profit

and propriety agencies provide a professional substitute

homemaker to assume responsibility for routine light

housekeeping and/or limited non-therapeutic personal care or

child care. Adult day care centers approved by the Department

of Elderly Affairs provide services such as medical

supervision, social and recreational activities and physical

therapy.

Day Care is purchased from licensed day care facilities or

from family day care homes in the community to enable a parent

to engage in approved education and short-term training

leading to employment, to remain or to become independent from

public assistance, as well as, to enable low income families

to be employed. Part of the funding for the Department of

Human Services child care programs is derived from the Social

Services Block Grant.

Emergency Shelter services provide housing when a client's

dwelling is made uninhabitable as the result of catastrophe

such as fire or flood, or when severe domestic problems

endanger the safety of family members.

Maternity Home Services are provided by contract with Little

Flower Home. This residential maternity home placement

facility provides counseling and related services to unmarried

pregnant girls.

Family Planning Services are furnished by Planned Parenthood

of Rhode Island to enable individuals of childbearing age

voluntarily to limit their family size by providing

counseling, information, and medical services. (Medical

Services are provided through Title XIX for persons for that

program).

The Rape Crisis Center provides health services and counseling

to children and adults who have been abused sexually and/or

raped.

Transportation for persons who are Handicapped is provided by

The Department of Elderly Affairs to meet the special needs of

people who are unable to use other means of travel. It does

so through subcontracts with agencies which also provide

transportation for senior citizens.

The administration of Day Care Licensing (children) is the

responsibility of The Department of Children and Their

Families. This licensing procedure assures the protection of

children in family and group settings.

0500.10.15 Services Provided by Eligible Categories

REV:07/1990

Information and Referral Services and Protective Services for Children and Adults may be provided to anyone needing the services without regard to any eligibility criteria.

The chart delineates the services provided under Social Services Program and the relationship to the eligible categories.

ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES

SERVICES Income Income

Maintenance Eligible

AFDC SSI

1. Counseling:

Specialized - Blind X X X

Specialized - Retarded X X X

2. Day Care Services for Children X NO X

3. Educational Services X X X

4. Emergency Shelter for Families X X NO

5. Employment Services X X X

6. Evaluation & Assessment X X X

7. Family Management & Adjustment X X X

8. Family Planning Services X X X

9. Foster Care Services X X X

10. Group Care Services for Children

Institutional and Specialized X X X

11. Health Related Services X X X

12. Homemaker Services X X NO

13. Housing Services X X X

14. Information & Referral X X X

15. Maternity Home Service X X NO

16. Protective Services for

Children and Adults X X X

17. Supportive Services for

the Blind X X X

18. Transportation Services

for persons with Handicaps X X X

19. Adult Day Care NO X NO

20. Rape Crisis X X X

For definition of Income Maintenance and Income Eligible, see Sections 0500.15.05 and 0500.15.10.

0500.15 PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES

REV:07/1990

Individuals and families residing in Rhode Island are eligible for social services on the basis of Income Maintenance Status or Income Status as defined in Sections 0500.15.05 and 0500.15.10. There is neither a requirement of citizenship nor a requirement related to duration of residence. Two services, Information and Referral and Protective Services, are provided without regard to eligibility.

Other services are provided under specified criteria, for example, documentation of a handicapping condition is required in order for a person with handicaps to receive specialized transportation.

0500.15.05 Income Maintenance Status

REV:07/1985

Income Maintenance status is defined as follows:

Recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC);

Those persons whose needs were taken into account in

determining the needs of AFDC recipients;

Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or State

supplementary payments.

0500.15.10 Income Status

REV:07/1990

Income status is defined as follows: