Calling PerformCare
How to Get Help
All community referrals to MonmouthCares must start with a call to PerformCare at 1-877-652-7624 to access services. 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. In case of emergency, call 911.
The Children's System of Care works with youth up to age 21 who have emotional, behavioral, intellectual & developmental, or substance use needs.
PerformCare - the Contracted System Administrator (CSA) - is a statewide agency that evaluates treatment options for New Jersey children using uniform assessment tools, and refers them to a service provider in their county.
In a crisis? PerformCare also provides 24-hour assistance to help families address escalating situations through the Children's Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS). MRSS provides face-to-face services at the site of the crisis, whether this is the child's home, group home, or other living arrangement.
A Family Support Organization is available to all families without a referral. It offers parent-to-parent support and is run and staffed by family members who have had children with emotional or behavioral challenges.
What Happens When a Call is Made?
When a caregiver refers their child to the System of Care, a clinical professional goes to the child's home and meets with the child and the family to complete an assessment. The assessment determines which level of care the child and family can receive.
Children's Mobile Response and Stabilization services are designed to help stabilize a child's placement in their living arrangements.
The least intensive level of care provides access to specialized services that are managed by the Contracted System Administrator in consultation with the parent and the clinical provider. Services are intended to be short-term and help families move forward through a difficult period.
Moderate and intense care is provided through the Care Management Organization (CMO) in each county. Care Managers help families create Child and Family Teams that are led by the parent and the child with the help and guidance of the Care Manager. The Child and Family Team helps the child and the family create strategies to resolve the challenges they face. Strategies and supports to be used are determined in the Child and Family Team meetings, which occur regularly. The Care Manager helps facilitate the Child and Family Team process until the team is able to move forward and handle the challenges they face without guidance from the Care Manager. The Care Management Organization works on a need-based timeline.