Racine County

This program is responsible for completing certification and re-certification studies of Racine County homes and making recommendations to HSD/WDC regarding their suitability as day care providers. It also monitors certified homes to ensure compliance with all state and local rules and regulations.

This position provides PC support, including addressing issues related to hardware, software, deployment, upgrades, and general problem-solving. Further, this position participates, as required, in specialized project teams, maintains up-to-date inventories of hardware, software licensing, and other related duties as assigned.

This position provides social work services to agency clients as requisitioned by Racine County Human Services case managers to help facilitate meeting the provisions of established case plans. This position also provides advocacy and follow-up to clients, documents social work activities and progress in implementing case plans, and recommends amendments to case plans as needed.

This position helps to develop and maintain a relationship with the identified client and the court and legal system. Case Managers document casework activities, provide evaluation and advocacy, and follow up with youth and their families throughout court involvement.

The Families in Transition Program (FIT) is a collaborative effort between Racine Unified School District and the Racine County Human Services Department. This program coordinates activities and supports with community organizations and agencies to support children and youth experiencing homelessness as identified by school personnel or self-report. The program ensures that children and youth identified as homeless experience full and equal opportunities to succeed in school. Staff coordinate with school social workers to identify students at-risk of or experiencing truancy to determine action and attend truancy court as a family and district representative. Staff conduct home visits for students identified as at-risk or truant and report data to Racine Unified’s Welcome Center Secretary and refer appropriate cases for truancy court.

The Family Connections Program provides in-home and in-community support, skill building, supervision and crisis intervention services to adjudicated youth and families referred by the Racine County Human Services Department. Specific services include: parent skills training; improving intra-familial communication; problem solving skills training; crisis resolution; developing informal and “other systems” supports; and skills of daily living. A primary objective of the program is to facilitate the development of skills and resources to the point that the youth and his/her caregivers are able to successfully manage their own problems and resources. A second goal of the program is to prevent further delinquency and/or family conflict that could lead to out-of-home placement and preserve families through in-home and community-based services that meet the individual needs of adjudicated youth and their families.

This program provides ongoing support, facilitates access to services, and helps parents develop a sense of mastery and confidence as they learn and practice new skills. This program works closely with the RCHSD case manager to help the family “meet the demands” of their Family Interaction Plan. PSG workers partner with the RCHSD case managers and parents to mitigate identified barriers through immediate interventions, establish short and long term goals, and emphasize parental acquisition of the necessary skills to identify and acquire formal and informal supports and services.

This position oversees the completion of foster care and kinship care licensing and re-licensing application studies in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. This position also assists Racine County Human Services case management staff to locate appropriate foster care/kinship care resources and works with Racine County on recruitment and retention goals.

This position is responsible for the recruitment of potential foster homes in Racine County, licensing of those homes, re-licensure of existing foster homes, investigation of foster home complaints and concerns, and matching/placement of children into appropriate foster homes.

This program aims to improve behavioral health outcomes for Racine Unified School District students by integrating expanded mental health services, including professional development regarding mental health and trauma informed care, for school staff. This program is divided into three distinct phases over an eight year period.

The Independent Living Program is designed to assist at-risk youth in achieving stable living within the community. The program is divided into three phases, progressing from training and intensive staff involvement to partially subsidized independent living with minimal staff contact. Emphasis is placed upon developing a work plan that directs individuals to job placements and addresses long term employment skills, as well as in providing training in all areas of adult functioning.

Juvenile Monitoring provides supervision and GPS monitoring services for pre and post dispositional youth referred by the Racine County Human Services Department. PSG works closely with the youth, his/her family, and Plan of Care Team (RCHSD case manager, school district personnel, and other professionals working with the youth and family) to develop and implement a collaborative plan of care. This program serves as an alternative to temporary secure placement for juveniles in need of added structure and monitoring in order to insure compliance with court ordered or case manager mandated restrictions.

This position is responsible for determining eligibility for kinship care and monitoring client’s compliance with eligibility requirements. Eligibility for Voluntary KC & Court Order KC applications are in accordance with DCF 58 & DCF 56.

Partners Educating Parenting Students (PEPS) is a one semester transitional program offered by the Racine Unified School District, Professional Services Group, and Workforce Development Center. This program provides help to pregnant and parenting students to complete school and prepare for life after high school. During the semester, students earn credits towards graduation in the following areas:

• High school classes based on individual student needs.
• Health education classes that assist with parenting, nutrition, child development, and parent/child health.
• Life skills classes that help students find community resources and get valuable help in succeeding after PEPS.

This position oversees and coordinates services between the three comprehensive high schools that are offered to pregnant and parenting students in order to help the client reengage into school and prepare for life after high school. Services include classes that address health education and life skills.

Safety Support is an intensive in-home program that is designed to ensure child safety and prevent the removal of children from their home. Safety Support seeks to preserve the family unit whenever possible. The well-being and adequate functioning of children and families is the desired outcome. Safety Support is designed to be community based, comprehensive, culturally competent, family focused and individually tailored to meet the needs of children and families.

This program is a collaborative effort between Racine Workforce Development, Racine County Human Services Department, Racine Unified School District and Professional Services Group. This is a referral based program designed to work with at-risk truants at Case and Park High Schools in Racine. Services include daily attendance and behavior monitoring, regular student/family liaison contact, advocacy, attendance shadowing, IEP recommendation, alternative academic recommendation, credit recovery recommendation, after school study group, and individual skill building and enrichment activities.

This position functions as a single point of entry for Child Protective Services and service referrals to the Racine County Human Services Department. This includes providing information and assistance to callers of the Racine County Human Services access line or performing intakes, investigative and/or case management activities within the various Human Services Units.

The Transitional Education Program is housed at the Racine County Human Services Department, and services are provided in collaboration with the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Youth who participate in TEP are adjudicated adolescents who have an alcohol and/or other drug abuse issue. This program provides a wraparound approach that focuses on assisting the client in achieving academically as well as maintaining sobriety. This program, which is the most restricted educational program, is designed to work the following clients: students who are returning from corrections or detention centers; students from within the community who are presently attending RUSD schools who have been expelled and are not receiving alternative educational services; and RUSD students who engage in dangerous acts of violence and general disruptiveness of the learning environment.

Turning Point Academy (TPA) is a collaborative effort between the Racine Unified School District, Racine County Human Services and Professional Services Group. This program is designed to meet the educational needs of at-risk students who are in need of behavior modification, social/emotional support and academic support. The program also provides services to special education students who have not been successful in other special education settings or who are transitioning back to the community from out-of-home placements. The program utilizes a philosophy of positive youth development by implementing programs like the Circle of Courage, Developmental Design and Restorative Justice. These programs promote positive outcomes by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and giving the support needed to build on their strengths as well as prevent risky behavior.

This program is responsible for the development, coordination, marketing and delivery of a full range of workshop instruction at the Racine County Workforce Development Center. Two to three workshops are typically offered on a daily basis. Staff members facilitate workshops for a diverse adult clientele and address such areas as Basic Computer Skills, Resumes, Interviewing, The Ultimate Job Search and The Ultimate Employee.

The Youth Panels Program is a juvenile diversion program which gives first time offenders the option of appearing before a panel of community volunteers rather than entering the court system. This program provides swift and meaningful community response by drawing both the community and their families into a contracting process, critical to the prevention and rehabilitation goals of the program. A juvenile who accepts and completes the contractual obligations avoids the stigma and possible effects of a criminal record.