Family Assessment Program (FAP)

What is the Family Assessment Program?

The New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and Department of Probation (DOP) have combined efforts to more effectively help families with adolescents when they seek help from the Family Court.

Families will meet with a Family Assessment Specialist, an experienced Administration of Children's Services (ACS) social worker specially trained to work with adolescent/family issues from a family-centered, strength-based perspectives. It also assists and empowers families by helping them identify options that can be used to create action plans.

Family Assessment Specialists use social work skills to work with parents and youth to highlight and affirm strengths; to identify service needs; and to provide referrals to the most appropriate services that will help families work through their present challenges.

Any family can receive assistance from Family Assessment Program. Families are not required to have an open case with ACS to obtain help.

 

What is the process?

When a family comes to the Family Assessment Program, the parent(s) and the youth are interviewed both separately and together. This permits each family member to share their individual feelings and experiences. This process also explores how each family member has attempted to cope with their situation. The FAP can help the family to identify and focus upon the issues that require immediate attention.

Families can be referred to a variety of services: the Designated Assessment Services (DAS) that are used to defer PINS placements; crisis intervention; mediation; preventive services; family counseling; substance abuse programs; anger management; and other services that a family may request.

If services cannot correct the situation, and the PINS court process has to be utilized, the Family Assessment Specialists will immediately set up and facilitate a conference between the Department of Probation and the family to discuss the issues, the court process and other options, if appropriate.

For more information, please contact the Family Assessment Program.

 

Locations

Locations are open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. - to 5:00 p.m.

Manhattan
New York County Family Court
60 Lafayette Street - 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013
(212) 341-0012

Brooklyn
Kings County Family Court
345 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 237-2658

Queens
Queens County Family Court
151-20 Jamaica Avenue
Jamaica, NY 11433
(718) 725-3244

Bronx
248 E 161st Street
1st Floor
Bronx, NY 10451

Staten Island (Richmond County)
51 Stuyvesant Place
Staten Island, NY
(718) 720-0418