The first person you will speak with at the CSA (PerformCare) is one of their Customer Service Representatives. This individual will ask some basic questions about your family’s demographics (name, address, phone number, your child’s date of birth) as well as questions about your family’s situation, and your child’s needs. The Customer Service Representative is conducting an intake and registering you in the confidential database. Once this basic information is collected the Customer Service Representative will transfer you to a Care Coordinator.

If you have private insurance, you will be told to contact your insurer for services. If you have already done so and they do not have the services that meet your child’s needs or you have exhausted your mental health benefit, be sure to tell the Customer Service Representative.

The Care Coordinator will ask you questions about your family’s situation and your child’s needs. If you need information about mental health services that are available for your child and family, the Care Coordinator can refer you to services in your local community. If you need additional supports, such as case management with supportive services for your child, the Care Coordinator will assist you in setting up a Needs Assessment with an approved clinician.

A Needs Assessment is a series of questions about your child’s behavior and your family’s situation. This information is used by the CSA to determine the type of services that your family will receive. After completing the needs assessment, the Local Needs Provider / Assessor transmits the information to the CSA who then reviews it and makes a determination on the appropriate level of care your child will receive.

The types of services that you may receive include:
Depending on the level of care that your child needs you may receive either connection to a local mental health provider for therapeutic services through the CSA (PerformCare) Care Coordination; or, you may be offered moderate or intense team-based Care Management through a local Care Management Organization. All of these services are designed to provide your family with the supports to maintain your child in the home and in school with community-based resources.

Your family will be contacted by the care management agency that will be providing assistance. Please note: this intake/assessment /referral process can take 3 to 5 weeks.

Having problems accessing services?
Call the Family Support Organization (FSO) for Mercer County at (609) 586-1200

They are your advocate in accessing the System of Care for Children. The Family Service Organization (FSO) of Mercer County (Family Based Services Association of NJ) is a private, nonprofit organization working to help make the system family friendly and responsive to needs of children and families. FSO staff members are all parents or guardians of children who have experienced emotional, behavioral, or mental health issues. They understand the challenges you face.

PLEASE NOTE: The process for obtaining case management services can take a couple of weeks. If your family is in a crisis situation because of the behavioral and emotional needs of your child, when you call the CSA (PerformCare), ask for Mobile Response services.

Mobile Response provides trained clinicians who can come to your home to help you address the crisis so that it does not escalate to a situation where your child is hospitalized or sent out of your home. In some situations, Mobile Response may also be able to put into place short-term services to address the behavioral and emotional needs of your child. You can then seek longer-term assistance through case management services.