Mandated Services
Specific social services which have been mandated by the State Board of Social Services and, as such, must be provided in every locality. The mandated services are:
Adoption Services
Provides services and registries to bring together children and families for permanent placements.
Child Care Services for Children
Provides services of day care in approved facilities, for a defined portion of a twenty-four hour day, to enable parents to be employed or to provide services when they must be away due to an emergency. Services may also be provided for children needing protection.
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)
Provides information and supportive services involved in encouraging children on Medicaid to utilize preventive health care, and refer such children to medical providers for medical services.
Family Planning
Provides information, counseling education, and referral to medical services to individuals who want to limit their family size or space their children.
Foster Care Services for Children
Provides counseling, supervision, and supportive and rehabilitative services to, or on behalf of, children who are committed or entrusted to local boards of social services.
Protective Services for Children
Receives and investigates complaints and reports concerning the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children, and provides preventive action when there is a threat of harm. Services are available twenty-four hours a day to handle emergency situations.
Adult Protective Services
APS investigates reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults aged 60 and over and incapacitated adults over 18 years of age and provides services when person are found to be in need of protective services. The goal of APS is to protect a vulnerable adult’s life, health and property without a loss of liberty. When this is not possible, APS attempts to provide assistance with the least disruption of life style and with full due process, protection and restoration of the person’s liberty in the shortest possible period of time. APS seeks to achieve simultaneously and in order of importance: freedom, safety and minimal disruption of lifestyle and least-restrictive.
Adult Services
The Virginia Department of Social Services Adult Services Program provides case management, assessment and direst services to elderly citizens (age 60+) and to adults with disabilities in the commonwealth. Specific services include:
- Assessment for assisted living facility applicants and residents
- Participation on nursing home preadmission screening teams
- Home-based services(companion, chore and homemaker services)
- Adult Foster Care
- Adult Day Care
- Nutrition
- Case management
The Adult Services Program provides services to adults so that they can remain in the least restrictive environment (preferable their own home) with dignity for as long as possible, thereby avoiding more costly and more restrictive institutional placement. Long-term care services provided through the Adult Services Program assist an individual to remain in his or her own home and to be a independent as possible for as long as possible. The provision of adequate home-based services decreases the risk of institutional placement, decreases overall costs for long-term care and ensures that appropriate services are provided.