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STATE OF CONNECTICUT TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) STATE PLAN 2024-2026

Effective Date: 10/1/23 – 9/30/26 ☐ Initial Submission Date: 12/31/2023 ☒ Revision Date: 04/15/2024 Page: 20

D. SERVICES AND NON-ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

This section, “Services and Non-Assistance Programs” describes how Connecticut provides services and non-assistance benefits to needy families through TANF programs. The programs described in this section use federal funds or commingled state and federal funds.

D. 1. Child Welfare Prevention and Intervention Services – Department of Children and Families

These services are provided when conditions exist requiring the intervention of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Unless noted, all programs/services are TANF Purpose #1. These services include:

Care Coordination (Local Systems of Care) – provides intensive individualized case management and support services to a family with a child with complex behavioral health needs, who are at-risk of being removed from their homes and who are not involved in DCF Protective Services.

Case Management Services – services provided by DCF staff, as well as a variety of home and community-based services to families to address issues that may cause a child to be abused or neglected in an effort to allow a child to remain in his or her home.

Community Support for Families – engages families who have received a Family Assessment Response from the Department and connects them to concrete, traditional and non-traditional resources and services in their community. This inclusive approach and partnership, places the family in the lead role of its own service delivery. The role of the external contractor is to assist the family in developing solutions, identify community resources and supports based on need and help promote permanent connections for the family with an array of supports and resources within their community.

Early Childhood Services – promotes school readiness skills and healthy development for children, ages birth to six, who may be identified as at risk for abuse and/or neglect and who may have developmental delays through center-based programs and home visitation. These services provide support to at-risk children that help prepare them to be successful in school, provide for healthy development, and reduce the risk of unintended teen pregnancy. TANF Purpose #3.

Mobile Crisis Intervention Services – provides mobile response crisis intervention and mental health assessments for children in homes, schools, and other locations in the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additional services include medication consultation, assessment, and short- term medication management; behavioral management services; substance abuse screening and referral to services for families with a child in crisis. Providing this support helps to gain an understanding of factors that led to the crisis, provides resources to restore previous level of functioning, helps in the development of coping strategies for current and future use, helps to connect current stressors with past experiences, and reduces the risk of poor health and other outcomes in teens including unintended pregnancy.