Areas of Work

Coordinated Childrens' Services Initiative

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the mission of the Coordinated Children's Services Initiative?

The Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI) is a partnership among service systems, families, and youth that supports localities in creating systems of care so children with cross-systems needs remain at home with their families and in their schools and communities. Children with cross-systems needs have, or are at increased risk for having, complex, co-occurring unmet medical, mental health, developmental, substance abuse, educational, social, vocational, or other needs that necessitate collaboration among multiple service delivery systems, families, and youth to create a comprehensive, coordinated system of care.

The CCSI promotes a set of core principles at all levels of government, across a broad range of service agencies, and throughout the service planning and delivery process.

What are the principles and values of CCSI?

CCSI is based on a core set of principles and values that guide the development of coordinated systems of care that:

• Develop and Plan for One Child and Family at a Time
  Service plans are developed around individual needs, not program categories.
• Provide Supports and Services in Family and Community Settings
  Reduce over-reliance on restrictive and expensive out-of-home placements.
• Develop Family/Professional Partnerships
  Families, including Youth, are involved at all levels of service planning and delivery.
• Use Strength-based Approaches
  Focus on child and family strengths as opposed to problems or pathology.
• Deliver Services that are Culturally Competent
  Recognize that a family's cultural background might affect the determination of appropriate services and incorporate dialogues, materials, and processes that respect the family's culture.
• Provide Care that is Unconditional
  Embrace the idea that services are provided to all in need regardless of how, when, or where they enter the child and family service systems.

What is the organizational structure of CCSI?

The interagency and family partnership of CCSI utilizes a tiered structure, the statutorily defined participants and the responsibilities of which can be found in Article 10-c of New York's Social Services Law— http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi.

The three tiers are:

1. Tier I - Community Level Teams provide individual strength-based plans of action for children and their families.
2. Tier II - County Level Interagency leadership teams made up of local government, service system, and family representatives.
3. Tier III - Statewide Level Team of agency, family and youth representatives that work to identify systems level solutions to meet locally identified needs. Six family and youth and nine state agency representatives (from the Office of Mental Health, State Education Department, Office of Children and Family Services, Council on Children and Families, Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Department of Health, and NYS Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities) are members of the Tier III Committee.

Support for localities is also offered through Regional Technical Assistance Teams (RTATs) that consist of field staff representatives from participating CCSI agencies, family organizations/advocates, and county-level staff. RTATs regularly meet with counties and other stakeholders to assist in addressing systems barriers, share best practices, attend Tier II meetings, provide and/or host training sessions, and answer questions and provide requested support from local CCSI representatives.

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Is CCSI the same in every county?

No, the CCSI is unique in its ability to work across and within a broad range of child and family service systems. There is no prescribed programmatic component to the Initiative beyond the formation of local teams that develop individualized service plans. CCSI promotes state, regional, and local collaboration on system-wide coordination and improvement.

Localities are encouraged to develop approaches that will best serve their target populations and that complement existing or anticipated efforts to improve services to children and their families.

The CCSI is not a service "program" in the traditional sense of the word; rather, the CCSI provides a structure and flexibility to promote locally designed interagency processes that lead to successful programs for the most vulnerable of children and their families. While the CCSI builds upon the unique strengths of each local service system, there are common features that can be found in participating counties across the state.

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How can I learn more about CCSI?

In addition to the information provided on this website, please feel free to contact:

In addition, most counties have a designated local CCSI point of contact. Although these local CCSI Coordinators are located in different agencies and organizations in each county, a good place to identify local contacts is through your local Mental Hygiene Department. A directory of County Mental Hygiene Departments can be found at: http://www.clmhd.org.

The CCSI Statewide Director can also help you with local CCSI contact information.

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