Child Protective Services (CPS)
CPS is designed solely for the investigation and protection of children. CPS operates 24 hours a day/seven days a week. Referrals come through Community members, family, schools, etc. via telephone, police reports, or walk-ins. Once a referral comes in it is prioritized based on the emergency and lethality of the situation for the child(ren). Some referrals are taken as “Information Only” if the situation doesn’t warrant an active investigation. Children are not always removed from their homes. Removal of children is done only when it is believed that is the only way to protect the child(ren). When a child is removed we look to place the child with a relative; however, when that isn’t possible, the child is placed in a shelter. Upon investigation of the referral, the case will be either substantiated or not. If it is determined abuse and/or neglect did occur, the case will be transferred to case management.
Case Management Services
Cases are transferred to case management from CPS. They typically go into Reunification in which the worker monitors the progress the parents are making in completing their court ordered services as well as checking on the child(ren) to ensure their continued safety. However, if the parents don’t successfully complete their court ordered services within usually one year’s time, the case will be moved into Permanency Planning. Once a case is moved into Permanency, the child is removed from the parents and another permanent home is found. Once in Permanency the worker ceases to work with the parents and focuses solely on the child(ren) and finding them a permanent home. The parents are free to petition the court for their children to be returned to them, but they will need to prove to the Judge why that should happen. Also within Case Management is our ICWA unit. We currently have one ICWA worker who manages all cases where there are dependent Community children in State custody. This requires working closely with our contracted ICWA attorney and state officials from various states within the country.
Family Services
This area of Tribal Social Services provides both intervention and prevention services to the Community. The following services are provided within Family Services: Victims Assistance, Foster Care Services, Parenting Programs which take place in and out of DOCR, and our Title IV-B, Children Services Program which provides a Family Resource Specialist. Victims Assistance provides services to victims of crime. Assistance is given to victims in a variety of areas, such as: finding emergency shelter, court preparation, and getting Temporary Restraining Orders. Our foster care worker recruits and licenses foster homes for those children who are removed from their homes. Our Parenting Programs provides instruction on child development, appropriate disciplining and cultural values to those Community members who have been court ordered as well as anyone just wanting to attend. We also provide parenting classes to inmates incarcerated at the DOCR. Our Family Resource program provides assistance to parents in their homes in budgeting, housekeeping, cooking, as well as assistance in getting their children enrolled or assistance with housing. We also provide some transportation to our clients to medical appointments and to court when necessary.
Family Assistance
This area of Tribal Social Services provides services mainly to adults and elders of the Community. Within Family Assistance we provide General Assistance and Burials, Adult Protective Services along with case management services to Adults In Need of Care, and Homemaker services.
General Assistance provides cash assistance to Community member who don’t have any income and aren’t eligible for TANF. Our workers assist their clients in finding employment when possible in order to help them off the cash assistance. General Assistance workers also provide burial assistance – working with Cole & Maud Mortuaries as well as Lowman’s Funeral Home in the West End.
Adult Protective Services provides investigation and protection of adults in the Community from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Where necessary the APS worker will also provide case management services to adults who are not mentally able to care for themselves and have no family to help them. Homemaker services are provided to help keep our clients out of a nursing home environment. Homemakers go into the home and provide the client with light housekeeping and cooking. It is also within Family Assistance where adult IIM accounts are supervised. IIM accounts are supervised for all children within the Community and adults who are deemed not capable of managing their own accounts. The children’s accounts are supervised by the Deputy Director.
Residential Programs for Youth
The report for the Residential Youth Program is being completed separately.
Contact Information:
Name: Drake Lewis
Phone Number: 520-562-3396
Address: PO Box 427
Sacaton, AZ 85247
Fax Number: 520-562-3633
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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