Single Point of Access for Children’s Mental Health Services
C-SPOA allows easy access to a wide range of services for youth who are facing mental health and behavioral challenges. Families, schools, therapists, caseworkers, etc. can make referrals to the Seneca County Coordinator of Children’s Services. Permission must be obtained from the family before making a referral. The Coordinator of Children’s Services meets with the family and assists them in selecting the most appropriate services to meet their needs.
Services
Seneca County offers a wide array of in-home and community-based services for youth with mental health and behavioral challenges. Examples of services include care management, goal setting, intensive in-home counseling, behavior management, parenting/caregiver support, parenting skill development, and youth support and socialization groups.
Eligibility
Most services require that the youth have a formal mental health diagnosis. Some services require that the youth have Medicaid.
Cost
No cost to families
Children’s Single Point of Access Application
SPOA Application Form (Part 01)
Thank you for completing this application for the Children’s Single Point of Access. When a child in our community is in need of assistance, we are always grateful to find out so that we can make sure that s/he is connected to the care and support that they and their family need.
The Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPOA) is operated by the Seneca County government to enable families easy, streamlined access to the mental health service system regardless of their financial resources or insurance status. While C-SPOA does not provide any direct services, it can help a family to access the complete continuum of mental health services for a child. If you are in doubt as to whether the child about whom you are concerned should be referred to the C-SPOA, please make the referral.
The form requests information that will enable us to ascertain how best to begin serving this family.
Please complete this form no matter what kind of insurance the child has, or if the child has no insurance. C-SPOA services are available for all children in NYS, regardless of their insurance or immigration status.
Please complete the form to the best of your ability – fields can remain incomplete if the information is unavailable.
If you have documentation of the child’s diagnosis, please provide it, but we do not want you to delay the application gathering documentation.
The C-SPOA will be able to help capture any missing information once you submit this form to them.
If you need help with this form, please call Bob Ritter at 315-539-1752.
There are two consent forms attached to this application.
The Consent for Release of Information is REQUIRED in order for us to access the information we need to process this application. Therefore, we cannot process this application without appropriate consent signatures.
The Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPOA) Patient Information Retrieval Consent is highly recommended. This information is NOT required but will help us to coordinate services for the child, so we strongly encourage the patient/guardian to sign it.
When you have completed this form, please submit it by encrypted email to rritter@co.seneca.ny.us, by fax to 315-539-1054 att. Bob Ritter, or by mail to Bob Ritter Seneca County Community Counseling Center 31 Thurber Dr. Waterloo, NY 13165
Seneca Cares
The Seneca Cares Network consists of family members and professionals who are dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of all youth and families in Seneca Counties. Seneca Cares builds on the System of Care philosophy to promote equality and trust among youth, caregivers, and those providing support to youth and families. Our system of care is:
- family and youth-driven,
- trauma informed,
- community based,
- culturally sensitive,
- specific to each family’s strengths and needs