Community Pathways Services

The Human Services Agency’s (HSA) Children and Family Services (CFS) branch implements programs that protect the welfare of children, promote permanency and stability for children and youth, and strengthen the health and well-being of families. CFS supports families in addressing the issues that contribute to child abuse, neglect, or exploitation and administers services including adoption, foster care, child care, foster youth transition support, and child protective services. When children cannot safely remain with their families, CFS works to achieve permanency through kinship care or adoption.

Community Pathways is an evidence-based prevention and early-intervention approach designed to reduce child abuse and neglect, consistent with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Through Community Pathways, families may be diverted from the traditional Child Welfare Services investigation process and instead connected with community-based organizations to complete a needs assessment and access prevention services and resources.

CFS is seeking proposals from qualified proposers to operate a Community Pathways Program on behalf of the County. If an award is made, the selected Contractor will be responsible for the following core functions:

A. Service Coordination and Case Management
Receiving self-referrals and referrals from community and County partners; conducting needs assessments; and providing service coordination, case management, referrals, and prevention services using Motivational Interviewing and other approved approaches.

B. Family First Prevention Services (FFPSA) Service Delivery and Oversight
Serving as a direct provider of approved evidence-based programs (EBPs) and/or coordinating and overseeing referrals to partner agencies delivering EBPs that qualify for FFPSA prevention services. Primary service domains include mental health services, substance use prevention and treatment, and in-home parent skill-based programs (parenting services).

As this is a new program, there is no historical contractor, rate, or client data available at this time. Program design elements, performance measures, and related data will be further developed during implementation. The County anticipates awarding one proposer a five-year agreement, tentatively beginning in July 2026.