Children and Family
Adoption Services
As of June 1, 2018, Catholic Charities is no longer providing Domestic or International Adoption services, including the following related services: pregnancy counseling; infant foster care; adoption home studies; adoption placement of children; post-adoption placement supervision; legal finalization of adoption; and, court referred adoption background checks.
Catholic Charities will continue to provide the following post-adoption services: non-identifying background reports and Search/Reunion services to birth families and adult adoptees from both the Newark Archdiocese and the Paterson Diocese.
For more information about the program contact:
Patricia Chiarello
(201) 246-7379
pchiarello@ccannj.org
Sandra Ciampetti
(201) 247-7257
sciampetti@ccannj.org
Mary Garcia
(201) 246-7378
magarcia@ccannj.org
Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center’s provides coordinated treatment and prevention services to families identified by DCPP (Department of Children Protection and Permanency) as having abused or neglected children. In coordination with DCPP, the Center offers services that include individual and family counseling, parenting groups, socialization groups for children and teens, and referrals to community agencies. Additionally, through a special Teen Enrichment pre-vocational training program, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are prepared for the working world. They receive training that includes paid work experience and instruction in effective working habits and job search skills.Location: 249 Virginia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07304 (201) 798-9900
Hudson Mobile Response and Stabilization Services
The Mobile Response program provides families with counseling, guidance, and referral services to address juvenile family crises and to help in stabilizing and preserving the family unit. The program addresses juvenile behavioral problems, such as truancy, chronic runaways, family disputes, and curfew violations. Depending on the assessment, which may include an in-home evaluation, the conflict resolution may require formal court presentation.Location: 249 Virginia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07304
Family Services: Union County
Services include assessment, intensive case management, in-home counseling, parenting skills training, transportation, and referral services to families referred by DCPP (Department of Children Protection and Permanency).
Location: 505 South Avenue East Cranford, NJ 07016 • Phone: (908) 497-3957
Intensive Family Support Services
Intensive Family Support Services (IFSS) provides help to families dealing with the mental illness of a loved one in Hudson County. Services are provided free of charge and IFSS workers meet with families in their home, the office, or some other agreed upon meeting place.
We believe that with the right combination of support, empowerment and access to resources, families can better cope with the stress that comes from caretaking for a family member diagnosed with mental illness.
Iskra Gomez, Director
Igomez@ccannj.org
Location: 249 Virginia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07304 • Phone: (201) 798-9925
Life Skills Program (Union County)
Catholic Charities Life Skills Program provides life skills lessons to adolescents who are in the foster care system. The Life Skills Program is designed to promote well-being and independence. Youth are provided with the opportunity to choose the life skills lessons they take part in— empowering them to make decisions about what is meaningful and important to them. Hands-on, interactive and creative sessions are coordinated and scheduled for the youth’s convenience.Partnership for Children
Partnership for Children provides community based in-home therapeutic mental health services to youth and their families in the four county catchment area of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Referrals are made through the partner agencies of the NJ Children’s System of Care.
Services provided include counseling, psychoeducation, parent education and support, instruction of skills including anger management, client advocacy, and referral for community services. Services are provided at no cost to the family and are covered by Medicaid. For more information, contact:
Dawn Glasco, LCSW
dglasco@ccannj.org
Phone: (908) 497-3957
Families interested in services should call Perform Care at 1-877-652-7624
For more information on the Children’s System of Care click here.
Providence Place
Providence Place is a psychiatric community home for females, ages 14-17, referred from the NJ Children’s System of Care.
For more information, contact: Judy Fields, Phone: 201-433-1832, Email: jfields@ccannj.org.
School Social Services
The School Social Services Department offers a variety of services to Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Newark as well as nonpublic and charter schools in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. The School Social Services Department are able to provide services to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Services provided include:- On-site master’s level social workers provide assessment and individual and group counseling to at-risk students, parent outreach, staff consultation, and workshops for students, parents, and staff.
- Classified students receive individual or group counseling through the LEA Special Services Department utilizing IDEA funding
- Prevention programs educate students about dating violence or substance abuse and teach the skills to prevent risky behavior.
- Anti-bullying curriculum teaches students about the impact and consequences of bullying and workshops for staff equip teachers to deal with bullying that may occur in the classroom.
- Customized workshops are available for staff professional development and are based on the individual school needs.
- Schools can self-fund or use available Title 1, Title 2A, or Title 4 funding through their local board of education.
Office: (973) 266-7983
Cell: (973)-222-3159
Email: ssteinberg@ccannj.org
Location: 47 Miller Street Newark, NJ 07114
Strong Futures
Strong Futures is a supportive, transitional living program for males ages 18-21 who are aging out of the child welfare
system and/or are homeless. Strong Futures provides the support and training that each youth needs in order to develop
self-sufficiency skills to make a successful transition to adulthood and permanent housing.
To be considered for Strong Futures, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Youth (males) aging out of the child welfare system and/or homeless youth between the ages of 16-21 years old
- Youth in out of home placements-including group homes, treatment homes, detention centers, residential treatment facilities, and foster-care homes
- Youth lacking family resources and in need of transitional living services
For more information, contact: Maxine Stanford, Phone: (201) 864-2290, Email: mstanford@ccannj.org
Supervised Therapeutic Visitation
Catholic Charities Supervised Therapeutic Visitation Program provides opportunities for Hudson County parents to visit with their child/ren who have been removed from their care due to abuse and/or neglect. Referrals for services are made by local DCP&P offices and may be court ordered. The visits are supervised by trained clinicians who provide support while assessing parental readiness for reunification. Visits include parenting skills; behavior modification techniques; safety awareness; child development; and understanding age appropriate, non-corporal discipline. Parents are supported in their efforts to complete their court ordered mandated programs I.e. substance abuse treatment before the goal of reunification can occur. Post-reunification services may include referrals to other Catholic Charities programs such as the Family Resource Center to ensure family stabilization.Location: 2201 Bergenline Avenue Union City, NJ 07087 • Phone: (201) 246-7378
Trauma Treatment and Supportive Services
The TTSS program provides Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to children and families that have
witnessed domestic violence. TF-CBT is recognized as being one of the most effective interventions for children who
have significant psychological symptoms related to trauma exposure. The program aims to decrease clinical symptoms
of PTSD in children and families and provide a safe, secure, environment for children and families to process through
trauma. In addition, our program provides groups and “family fun” activities for both children and caregivers to enhance
social support, provide psychoeducation, and create a network of extended support while working through other life
challenges.
Eligibility:
- Children within the ages of 3-18 who have been exposed to and remember a traumatic domestic violence event and are exhibiting symptoms related to trauma.
- Residents of Hudson County
- Referrals can come from DCPP, Women Rising or self-referral
For more information about the program and/or referrals, please contact (201) 798-9957.
