Potter County Human Services

The Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) came to Potter County in 1992. The Potter County CASSP Interagency Team meets every other week on Tuesday mornings to discuss cases that may benefit form interagency team review and coordination. Regular members of the Team are representatives from Children & Youth, Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Juvenile Probation, Intermediate Unit 9, and Drug and Alcohol. The parent and child/adolescent are also included at these meetings. A representative from the school (principal or guidance counselor) is also invited, particularly if the child or adolescent is displaying behaviors at school that are problematic. Other agencies or individuals are invited if deemed necessary to deliver the appropriate services to that family.

To be eligible for CASSP a child or adolescent (under the age of 21) must meet the following criteria:

	be at risk for out-of-home placement
	have had a recent psychiatric hospitalization
	be involved in more than one child-serving system
	have a mental health diagnosis that is impacting on his ability to function at home, school or in the community.

If a child does not have a mental health diagnosis, he/she will still be reviewed by the CASSP Team who will then make a recommendation that a psychiatrist or psychologist assess the child for a possible mental health diagnosis.