Cook County Public Health and Human Services

Parent Support Outreach Program (PSOP)

A voluntary, early intervention service that focuses on helping expecting and parenting at-risk families thrive.

Description

The goals of this program are to:

• Enhance the well-being of children and families
• Support families so they can meet the needs of their children by themselves and through their support system
• Support the safety and stability of children and families

Workers will conduct a comprehensive assessments of families' needs and strengths and, together, make decisions about what services or community resources are the best choices for success. Short-term help may be available to families with concerns regarding:

• Basic needs (food, clothing, housing)
• Family health concerns (medical care, mental and chemical health services)
• Parenting
• Transportation
• Child care
• Financial needs (budgeting and financial assistance)

Eligibility

To be eligible, families must:

• Have at least one child age 10 or younger, or be expecting a child
• Be exposed to at least two or more at-risk factors including, but not limited to:
  • School/education concerns
  • Mental health concerns (parent or child)
  • Parenting challenges
  • Child behavior concerns
  • Limited support system
  • Disability (parent or child)
  • Low income/poverty
  • Homelessness/housing concerns
  • Chemical use concerns (parent or child)
  • Domestic violence
  • Parent/caregiver separation
  • Prior child protection history
  • Human/sex trafficking concerns
  • Legal issues
  • Medical concerns (parent or child)
  • Trauma exposure
  • Grief/loss
• Not currently be involved with child protection services

Application Instructions

Families can refer themselves or be referred by community or social service agencies.

Contact your county or tribal human services department to make or inquire about a referral. Referral forms can be found online and should be sent directly to your county human services agency. General questions can be emailed to: dhs.csp.psop@state.mn.us

Fee

There is no fee to participate