Posted June 11, 2013

Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS) has been selected as a Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services (DHS) under its new model Improving Outcomes for Children. 

CSS is one of three community-based organizations most recently selected by DHS to manage the cases of the city’s most at-risk youth. CSS will serve children and families in the second, seventh and eighth police districts in Northeast Philadelphia. Eventually DHS will select 10 CUAs to serve the city.

With more than 200 years of meeting basic human needs within the Philadelphia area, CSS has a proven track record of providing services to transform the lives of children and families in need. As a CUA, CSS will have sole responsibility managing all DHS cases in Far Northeast Philadelphia.

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“Catholic Social Services sees working under the Improving Outcomes for Children model as an opportunity to keep children safely in their homes and communities and out of congregate care,” said Joe Lavoritano, CSS director of youth services. “Key to the success of this initiative will be our ability to involve the entire community in addressing safety and well-being needs, and our ability to address the impact of trauma and the promotion of non-violence as a public health issue in our work with the children and families we serve.”

CSS will have case managers, supervisors and administrative support staff in place in the Northeast beginning Oct. 1.

The 165,000 clients served annually in all CSS programs make the archdiocesan agency the largest subcontractor with DHS. Motivated by its mission to serve the most vulnerable and at-risk members of society, CSS offers a variety of community-based and residential programs and services to assist and support men, women and children living in Philadelphia and its four surrounding counties.

Each day, services touch the lives of immigrants, the homeless, women in crisis, dependent or delinquent youth, senior citizens and the developmentally disabled. Catholic Social Services provides help and creates hope for people from every walk of life.