When helping our child support customers we may become aware that there are other things parents or children need besides monetary support. When customers say they need child care so they can work, or they have an elderly parent they need caring for, as child support specialists we can recognize the need and provide hope to customers by referring them to agencies to help meet their needs. Not only customers, but friends, or neighbors may be in need of a service.
The list below summarizes services seven (7) Client based services and some of the programs Oklahoma Human Services (OHS) has to offer to Oklahomans (in alphabetical order). All the services are linked in one OHS web page – OHS Services – for easy location and getting information quickly.
Adult and Family Services
This Service includes:
- Child Care Subsidy
- This Service helps low-income parents pay for child care, which allows them to work and/or complete their education or training.
- Health-Related and Medical Services
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Refugee Assistance
- School-Based Service Workers
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (informally called Food Stamps)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Adult Protective Services
Vulnerable adults who depend on others to meet their basic needs require support and protection. Adult Protective Services determines whether maltreatment has occurred, then help connect the adult to the services they need to stay safely in their homes and community.
- If you suspect that abuse may be occurring, call the Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-522-3511. If you believe the vulnerable adult has immediate health and/or safety risks you are required to call 911 immediately.
- See Adult & Protective Services Resources for more information
Aging Services
This Service provides comprehensive services to elderly Oklahomans.
- Adult Day Services
- ADvantage Services (this is Medicaid services to help people stay at home rather than go to a nursing home, in particular frail elders and adults who have physical disabilities).
- Area Agencies on Aging. This program provides free services to residents 60 years or older, including
- Congregate and Home Delivered Meals
- Evidence Based Health Promotion
- Nutrition Education
- In-Home Assistance
- Outreach
- The Legal Services Developer for Aging Services
- Transportation
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- Oklahoma Senior Corps Program (This program helps people age 55 and older find meaningful volunteer service opportunities in their own local communities. To learn more see Oklahoma Senior Corp Who We Are.
- Oklahoma State Council on Aging (which champions the needs and issues confronting older Oklahomans)
- Pharmacy Connection Council
- Respite Care (Helps caregivers pay someone who has temporarily taken their place as a care provider for older citizens)
- State Plan Personal Care
Child Care Services
Child Care Services provides:
- Child Care Licensing (Enforces requirements on child care centers to protect the children’s health, safety, and well-being.)
- Reaching for the Stars (this service rates child care facilities)
- Warmline, the free telephone consultations to child care providers
Child Support Services
Besides the multiple processes CSS undertakes, you know CSS provides.
- Coordination of paternity tests via genetic testing
- Enforcement of parents’ financial responsibilities to support their children
Child Welfare Services
Included in this service are:
- Adoption Services
- Child Protective Services
- Foster Care
- Oklahoma Successful Adult Program (OKSA)
- OKSA’s mission is to empower youth to help them lead safer, healthier, more independent and productive lives.
- The focus is to ensure the successful transition of youth from custody to self-sufficiency and successful adult living through various approaches and collaborations.
- OKSA’s mission is to empower youth to help them lead safer, healthier, more independent and productive lives.
- Oklahoma Children’s Services
- Permanency Planning
Developmental Disabilities Services
DDS serves individuals 3 years of age and older who have intellectual disabilities, and certain persons with related conditions who would otherwise require placement in an intermediate care facility that caters to individuals with intellectual disabilities. This Service has programs including:
- Community Waiver (comprehensive array of services including residential, employment and habilitation services and supports for individuals 3 years of age or older.)
- In-Home Supports Waiver (allows individuals and families to select services necessary for each individual to remain in his or her own home or family home.)
- See Oklahoma Department of Human Services – Developmental Disabilities Services for more information on waivers.
- Family Support Assistance Program
- This program offers cash assistance to low income caregivers of children who have developmental disabilities, as well as intellectual disabilities
- This program covers children from birth to 18 years of age
- Group Homes
- Sheltered Workshop (Center-Based Services)
- Community Integrated Employment (CIE)
- Provides job placement, job training and short term or long-term supports to assist in achieving and maintaining employment within the community.
- Guardianship Assistance Services
- Assisted Living
- Respite payment program
- This program offers relief to caregivers caring fulltime for children or adults with developmental disabilities
Helping our customers is our job and we do our best to help them in whatever way we can.