Web Address: www.lcdjfs.com

Description:

Joining Forces is collaboration between Lorain County Job & Family Services and the Lorain City School/Project GRAD. Social service or caseworkers are based in several of the Lorain City Schools including both primary and secondary grades.

Social service staff is stationed in schools throughout the district and work with children who have been deemed “at risk”.  This means that they may suffer from developmental, academic, family and/or behavioral problems.

The goal of the program is to help identified students improve their school success by addressing social, behavioral, emotional and academic needs. The also encourage parents, teachers and other school personnel to play a role in the students school success.  The staff plays the role of liason and between the students and their school, the school staff, their families and area social service agencies to ensure they are receiving the help they need to achieve success both at school and in the community.

Making a Referral to Joining Forces

Most referrals are made when a student(s) displays negative behavior and normal disciplinary techniques and coping skills are not effective. These could include but are not limited to:

• Verbal or physically aggressive behavior
• Displaying socially isolated behaviors
• Showing signs of physical, social or emotional neglect
• Crisis in the home (i.e. death in the family, incarceration, homelessness, basic needs are not being met, divorce)
• Substance abuse
• Suicidal thoughts and/or other mental illness
• Academic underachievement
• Attention & focus problems
• Criminal behavior
• Medical concerns

Address