"Your Needs Are Our Concern"
Services for the Disabled
Social services offered by the Monmouth County Division of Social Services (DSS) are available to recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), General Assistance (GA), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and also to other Monmouth County residents who qualify as low/moderate income households. Social Services are funded by the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), Title XX of the Social Security Act, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant, Medicaid, Monmouth County and a variety of grants.
Professional social work staff provide information and referral, assessment, short-term individual and group counseling, case management, housing-related services, health-related services, and (limited) protective services to both families with children and single adults/couples. Social workers are deployed at all three DSS offices. Clients may phone or come to any office without appointment, or have a social worker visit their residences. Staff work closely with government and community agencies to coordinate and integrate services within the county. Social workers are also assigned as liaisons to certain agencies to facilitate easy access of resources for clients.
Social Services available include the following :
- Services for the disabled
- Disability Services - Provides intensive services to physically disabled adults and children to enhance quality of life and independence.
- Community Care Program for the Elderly and Disabled (CCPED) - Provides case management arranging medical and social services to persons who might otherwise require nursing home placement; funded by Medicaid.
- Medical Review Team - Prepares social assessment and medical records for medical review panel to determine medical eligibility.
- Personal Preference Program - Researches whether disabled clients, if given responsibility for a monthly allowance similar to CCPED above, will spend the funds appropriately to meet their daily needs (federal demonstration project).
- ARC (Association for Retarded Citizens, Monmouth Unit) provides services, support and advocacy for individuals with mental retardation and their families. Please note that ARC is a community organization and not part of the Monmouth County Division of Social Services. Further information about ARC may be found at www.arcofmonmouth.org
Housing Services
- Housing Counseling - Provides how-to counseling on landlord-tenant rights and procedures including eviction prevention; also includes homeownership pre-purchase guidance, foreclosure prevention and reverse equity mortgages (HUD certified). 2491 households received tenant assistance; 689 received mortgage counseling; 46 cases were saved from eviction in District Court negotiations.
- Emergency Home Repair - Funds emergency repair or replacement to remedy health/safety code violations for very low-income homeowners. 133 households.
- Barrier Free program - Provides access ramps and other modifications to homes and apartments, which enhance mobility to persons with physical limitations. 12 households.
- Monmouth County Public Housing Agency (MCPHA) - Administers U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rent subsidy payments for the following programs: Section 8 Vouchers, Mainstream (disabled), HOPWA and Shelter Plus Care (AIDS), Family Unification (DYFS), Welfare to Work (post-welfare), and HOME (seniors and mental health). Offers a Family Self-Sufficiency contract to tenants who are motivated to enhance their personal and marketable skills and to increase household income. Eligible tenants may be selected to participate in a new mortgage subsidy program.
- Emergency Assistance - Available to recipients of TANF, SSI and GA in financial crisis to address security deposits, utility arrears and homelessness. Programs include emergency placement, Transitional Housing, Temporary Rental Assistance and the Long Term Support Program.
- Shelters - Makes appropriate referrals for available slots for adults, families and youth in family crisis for temporary emergency placement
- Emergency Family Shelter Program - Services homeless working poor with motel placement and/or security deposits. Program is budget limited.
Case Management Services
Family Referral and Case Management Services - provides information and referral services for resources such as food, child care, medical services, housing, etc. Provides short-term case management.
Adult Referral and Case Management Services - Provides information and referral services and short-term case management.
Other Services
- Parents Anonymous- Facilitates weekly support group meetings to discuss the challenges of parenting. Call 732-431-6317. Also see Protective Services page for more information.
- Domestic Violence Initiative - Provides intensive emergency response for domestic violence victims in accessing housing and supportive services. (see Protective Services)
- HIV/AIDS & S+C HUD - Provides housing subsidy for persons with AIDS who are homeless and whose health is seriously compromised. Includes information and referral, intensive case management and counseling services.
- NJ EASE - Provides services to persons age 60+. Linkages are made for housing options, medical and medicaid waiver programs, in-home care, etc.
- Boarding Home Services - Performs facility visits to monitor compliance with housing, supervision and personal care. Investigates complaints. Provides assistance with relocation to and from facilities. Assesses need for level of care. Facilitates resolution of problems between resident and operator.
- Social Security Administration (SSA) - Liason works closely with the SSA to facilitate resolution of problems and assist with applications.
- Application Assistance - Completes applications for homebound persons for Medicaid, TANF, General Assistance or Food Stamps.
- Teen Pregnancy/School Related Programs - Provides individual and group counseling at area high schools and at the Youth Detention Center.
- Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) - Provides medical screening of children for all new applicants of TANF, Medicaid, Jersey Care, Family Care and Kid Care. Introduces families to DSS and community service resources.
- Family Self-Sufficiency - Provides social services, facilitates training for career development and escrow account for savings for HUD Section 8 clients.
- Project Transition/PATH - Provides short-term intensive services to homeless mentally ill. Also provides case management and community support for mentally ill chemically addicted persons.
Monmouth County residents who meet funding and eligibility guidelines are eligible for Social Services through MCDSS. However, persons contacting MCDSS who are in need of services , but are not eligible for our services, can be referred to various community resources. Please contact one of our offices for further information.