Department of Family Services Alert:
Youth and their families may receive a wide range of intensive behavioral health care services and supports. Every family will be assigned a case manager whose role is to explain every step of the process and connect your family to appropriate services. Services include community-based interventions like Intensive Care Coordination (ICC), home-based therapy, mentoring, equine therapy, and evidence-based interventions like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Multisystemic Therapy (MST). CSA also assists families when a higher level of care is needed such as for group home or residential treatment.
CSA is required to assess the family’s ability to pay for services, based on income and number of children in the home. Based on this assessment, some families are required to pay a monthly co-pay, which pays a part of the covered services. Families may request a waiver of fees or a reduction based on their financial circumstances. Some services like CSA case management, Intensive Care Coordination, and Family Meetings are offered at no charge.
Is your family currently working with one of our agency partners, such as a school social worker, juvenile court, community mental health? If so, your agency case manager can refer you to CSA, or you can refer yourself.
Not currently working with a case manager? Complete a Parent Inquiry Form (Spanish), OR contact CSA’s Team-Based Planning (TBP) Coordinator by email or at 703-324-5863. If there are no other public agencies currently involved, CSA will link the family with a lead case manager. To learn more about case management services, visit the CSA Case Management page.
The TBP Coordinator will speak with you (or the referring agency worker) about your needs and determine whether the referral is appropriate for the CSA program.
If you have questions and would like to speak to someone, please email our CSA Parent Liaison/Team-based Planning Coordinator, Lisa Morton at Lisa.Morton@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-5863. You may also contact CSA’s main email DFSCSA@fairfaxcounty.gov or call CSA’s main number 703-324-7938.
In a system of care, case management is offered as a fundamental service to youth and their families. Agency case managers are local public agency staff who perform a wide variety of administrative and casework duties for the children they serve, including but not limited to:
Youth are typically served by whichever agency first works with the family and brings them forward for service funding. This broad access “no wrong door” approach is helpful in gaining access for all families, but can present challenges regarding the match of a case manager’s skillset and system role with an individual youth’s needs. For this reason, transfers between agencies may occur on a case-by-case basis. Case managers may come from any of the following agencies, based on the needs of the child:
During your meeting, a “youth and family meeting action plan” will be created based upon the strengths and needs of your family. County agency representatives with expertise in mental health, juvenile justice, community and school social work services may be assigned to the team to assist in developing your plan. A parent support representative will also be invited to your meeting. We encourage families to invite family members, friends, private therapists and community supports (i.e., church members, coaches, mentors) that know your family well and can provide assistance in developing a plan for your family. Please note that youth aged 14 and over are expected to participate in the meeting unless documentation shows that it would be harmful to them. Meetings generally last 2 hours.
Visit the Family Partnership and Family Resource Meetings page to read more about what you can expect during a youth and family meeting.
After your meeting, the youth and family meeting action plan created by the team is submitted to CSA by your lead case manager. If the team concludes that the child cannot remain safe in their home/community and a more restrictive service is being considered, your team will be referred to the Family Assessment Planning Team (FAPT) for further planning (to learn more about the FAPT process, visit the FAPT page).
Once CSA receives a complete plan, it is reviewed for funding authorization and policy compliance. If the plan is approved and authorized, your CSA lead case manager will coordinate the purchased services requested.
Your family will be responsible for a monthly copayment based on your income, family size and ability to pay. Teams are encouraged to schedule follow-up meetings to monitor the service(s) and reassess the strengths and needs of the youth and family for the duration of the plan.
If you would like to make a credit card payment on your child’s account, you will need the following information:
Click here to access the Children's Services Act payment portal. Please note that payments will be processed within 3 business days.
Please let your case manager know your plans right away. With your consent, CSA will transfer your CSA service plan to the new locality and will continue to fund services in your plan for up to 30 days. Provide us with your new address and move date so that the new locality can contact you. It is important to enroll your child in school in the new locality right away and to inform your service providers about the change in your residence as well.
The CSA program where you are currently living will transfer your CSA service plan and supporting documents to Fairfax-Falls Church CSA. They will continue to fund services for 30 days after your move. Make sure that your case manager knows that you are moving, what your new address is, and confirms that they are transferring your family to Fairfax-Falls Church. A new case manager will be assigned and get in touch with you.
In a system of care approach your child/teen and family have specific rights and responsibilities under the Children Services Act (CSA). Your case manager and other service providers can help you know and understand your rights and responsibilities. Be a strong advocate for your child and family by exercising your rights.
A note to parents of youth with special education placements:
The Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) planning process is not connected to your child’s special education program or the right to a free appropriate public education. You are not required to attend a FAPT meeting in order to gain access to funding for placement or services specified in your child’s IEP. Federal laws and protections to children with disabilities require that CSA processes not impede a child’s access to the services specified in his/her IEP.
Any parent, legal custodian, or eligible youth who is dissatisfied with the recommendations in the Meeting Action Plan (MAP) developed by the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) or Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) for reasons including but not limited to denial of access to the team, family participation in assessment, planning and implementation of services, or improper notification of meetings and actions, may file a written request for appeal to the Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT).[1] No appeal of FAPT or MDT recommendations for services shall occur unless funding is available for such services.
At the conclusion of the FAPT/MDT meeting, the Team will provide the parent, legal custodian, or eligible youth with the Notice to Family Regarding Right to Appeal which contains the CPMT-approved appeal policy and procedure.
To appeal FAPT/MDT recommendations, the parent, legal custodian, or eligible youth must file a written request for appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days after the applicable FAPT/MDT meeting to the CPMT Chair at the following address:
Chair – Fairfax-Falls Church CPMT, c/o CSA Staff
12011 Government Center Parkway, 4th Floor
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
FAX: (703) 653-1369
EMAIL: DFSCSA@fairfaxcounty.gov
The CPMT or designee shall respond in writing to the person who has appealed within 3 business days informing him/her of the option to have the appeal heard by the full CMPT or a 3-member panel. The 3-member panel will include one parent representative appointed by the CPMT Chair. The CPMT must hold a hearing on the appeal within twenty-one (21) calendar days from receiving the written request for appeal. If the parent, legal guardian, or eligible youth chooses the full CPMT, the hearing shall be heard at a regularly scheduled CPMT meeting in executive session. All authorized services shall continue until the CPMT appeal process has concluded.
At the conclusion of the appeal hearing, the CPMT may uphold or alter the FAPT/MDT recommendation. The CPMT shall communicate its decision in writing to the person who appealed within five (5) business days of the appeal hearing. This decision shall be provided to the person who appealed, the case manager, and the FAPT/MDT leader.
If new information that may have had an impact on the FAPT/MDT recommendations becomes available from other sources prior to the appeal hearing, the case may be returned to the FAPT/MDT for review if the parent, legal guardian, or eligible youth agrees.
[1] State due processes associated with special education, foster care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance abuse services are not affected by the Children’s Services Act.
Families who are unable to access necessary behavioral health care through their private insurance may apply for CSA funding. The parental contribution assessment will provide information about their “ability to pay.” Families will also need to provide documentation about reasons why insurance cannot cover services to include any letters of denial, deductibles and co-pays.
CSA is required to assess the family’s ability to pay for services, based on income and number of children. Based on this assessment, some families are required to pay a monthly co-pay, which pays a part of the covered services. At times, the co-pay bill that you receive may arrive several months after services were delivered. If you have questions about your bill.
Caution – If you have received a CSA invoice and you think there may be an error, you MUST contact CSA. Do not ignore this invoice. It is important to do this as quickly as possible, as delinquent accounts are referred to the Department of Tax Administration (DTA) for collection and possible referral to an external collection agency, where additional fees and interest may be applied.
A good working relationship with the members of your team, including the service providers, is important. If you have concerns or find that it’s just not a good fit with a provider, you can talk to them directly or raise the issue during your team-based planning meeting, and a provider change can be made if necessary. While it can take time for a therapeutic relationship to develop, it is also important to know when things are not working and make changes in a timely manner. Always keep let your case manager know of any concerns or issues you have.
The parent/legal guardian has the right to appeal recommendations in the Meeting Action Plan (MAP) developed by the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) or MultiDisciplinary Team (MDT) for reasons including but not limited to denial of access to the team, family participation in assessment, planning and implementation of services, or improper notification of meetings and actions. To appeal FAPT/MDT recommendations, the parent, legal custodian, or eligible youth must file a written request for appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days after the applicable FAPT/MDT meeting to the CPMT Chair at DFSCSA@fairfaxcounty.gov.