Excel
Provided through a specialized docket of Fairfield County Juvenile Court, Excel is a court-supervised therapeutically orientated judicial approach designed to improve outcomes for families involved with Protective Services (PS) with their primary barrier to reunification being substance misuse. Participants include Fairfield County parents working toward reunification.
Goals of Excel (formerly known as Family Court) are:
- Improve participants’ recovery support systems and recovery capital.
- Through a multi-system approach, family members will have access to services to create a healthy environment for children to grow and develop.
- Reduce recidivism/refiling of abuse, neglect, dependency cases for participants.
Excel provides a collaborative effort that offers families the supports, services and treatment necessary to assist parents in establishing and maintaining sobriety while providing safety for their children.
Excel strives to empower families to look beyond compliance and abstinence, encouraging them to make a commitment to a lifestyle of recovery.
Excel is a strength-based program enhanced with strategic incentives. The focus is on goal-setting and achievement, with participants earning incentives for their accomplishments. Incentives have included self-care items, cleaning supplies, housewares, gift cards, and family-focused games and activities.
Referrals to Excel are made by PS. Upon acceptance into Excel, participants are provided additional support through the Excel Case Manager and through the guidance of the Magistrate/Judge during Status Hearings. Throughout the four Steps of Excel participants build their recovery and systems of support, while increasing knowledge of safe parenting in order to reunify with their children.
Excel is one of the many reasonable efforts Protective Services utilizes in their efforts to reunify parents with their children.
Protecting and Advocating for Children Together (PACT)
Protecting and Advocating for Children Together (PACT) is a collaborative effort between Juvenile Court and Protective Services to serve families linked in both systems.
Research shows dual-involved youth present with a range of unique challenges and needs that can lead to higher costs and further system involvement than those youth without dual-system involvement.
Juvenile Court and Protective Services identify shared youth and create a family-centered team approach to serving these unique youth and families through the PACT process. PACT teams place family needs and supports at the center of their work, creating changes that work to prevent further system involvement.
