New Jersey
NEW JERSEY
Art Hull
Assistant Administrator, Information Systems
Division of Youth & Family Services
New Jersey Department of Human Services
50 East State Street, 5th Floor
P.O. Box 717
Trenton, NJ 08625-0717
(609) 292-9175
(609) 292-4672 Fax
ahull@dhs.state.nj.us
Item 1.1: These services include such things as companionship, group counseling, life skills training, self-help support, and respite care. They reflect only contracted services purchased by the Division. Recipients include both CPS and non-CPS children and families.
Items 2.3 and 3.2: "Other" includes family problems, and they are considered to be at risk. DYFS began an initiative in 1994 that has as a core element a more careful classification of incoming referrals as child abuse and neglect or as a family problem. The families classified as having "family problems" are not believed to have committed child abuse or neglect according to New Jersey statute. The types of situations that may lead to such a classification include homelessness; domestic violence; unresolved, child-related medical, emotional, or substance abuse problems; children with disabilities needing assistance; problems that affect the ability of parents to provide basic care for their children; and cases in which parents lack the skills to parent adequately.
Item 3.5.C: These were emergency removals that took place before the investigation was completed.
Items 7.1 and 7.2: The number for Item 7.1 was taken from personnel data and includes all caseload carrying workers who do intake as well as casework. Workers at adoption resource centers were excluded. To obtain the number for Item 7.2, the number of screening workers was extracted from Item 7.1.
Item 7.3: The actual amount of elapsed time required for each response is recorded on the referral form and used for quality control in local offices, but these data are not entered in the system and were not available for statewide analysis. The number of reports is related to the number of substantiated and unsubstantiated child-based investigations in Item 2.3 and number of substantiated and unsubstantiated children subject of those investigations in Item 3.2.
