Community Service Agency (CSA)

Intensive Care Coordination
Family Support and Training

What is a CSA?
A Community Service Agency (CSA) is a program that works with families and community partners to build a mental health system of care with responsive services for families and youth with serious emotional disturbances (SED).

The CSA is governed by a Board consisting of parents, youth, state agencies, community based agencies, and the business and faith community. The board meets monthly and all are welcome to attend these System of Care meetings.

The CSA can help families and youth with serious emotional disturbance find the resources and services that meet their needs.

Two services that all CSAs provide are:
Intensive Care Coordination and Family Support and Training

CSAs are located across the state of Massachusetts. A family may choose which CSA is right for them. The Lawrence CSA services the communities of Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Methuen. The Lynn CSA services the communities of Lynn, Nahant, Swampscott, Lynnfield and Saugus.

Intensive Care Coordination (ICC)
Intensive Care Coordination, or wraparound, is a service that uses the care planning process to coordinate multiple services and supports for youth with SED. Involvement and participation in ICC is voluntary.

Wraparound puts the family at the center of the planning process and builds a team around the family’s vision for their child’s future.

A care coordinator is assigned to work with each youth and family enrolled in ICC and is responsible for working with the family to:

• Complete a risk management and safety plan and an assessment of the youth’s and family’s strengths and needs;
• Assemble a care planning team of the family’s preference made up of formal and natural supports; and
• Develop an individual care plan (ICP) that guides the family and team in pursuing the family’s goals.

As part of the ICC service, a care coordinator is available 24/7 for emergencies.

Family Support and Training (FSAT)
Family Support and Training services are offered by trained parents known as Family Partners. Family Partners are parents or primary caregivers who have raised youth with special needs. The family partner works closely with the care coordinator (for youth in ICC) to help parents or caregivers of youth by:

• Teaching the parent how to navigate the child-serving systems;
• Identifying the available services and supports in the community; and
• Developing connections within the community, supporting and coaching the parent in reaching goals identified in the Individual Care Plan.

Eligibility:
To be eligible for ICC and FSAT, children must be covered by MassHealth Standard or MassHealth CommonHealth, be under 21 years of age, and meet the criteria for medical necessity.

Raising a child with challenges “takes a village”.