FINS
FINS ( Families in Need of Services )
FINS or Families In Need of Services is a juvenile delinquency prevention program dedicated to the intervention of truancy, ungovernable behavior by juveniles, runaway, possession or consumption of intoxicating substances and failure of caretakers to attend meetings regarding their child’s problematic behavior in school. FINS is designed to bring together resources for the purpose of helping families to remedy their children’s self-destructive behaviors or that of other family members. FINS goals are to reduce formal juvenile court involvement whenever possible while generating appropriate community services to benefit the child and improve family relations. The FINS Program is committed to encouraging maximum cooperation among service providers and at all times, preserving the dignity of the family.
FINS is dedicated to intervene in the following:
- Truancy
- Habitual violation of school rules
- Ungovernable behavior by juveniles
- Runaway behavior
- Possession and use of drugs and alcohol
- Caretakers contributing to child's problems
- Caretakers missing school meetings regarding child's behavior in school
- Children under 10 who commit adult crimes
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The goal of FINS is to work with children, families, school officials, other community resources, and the courts as needed in order to reduce the child's dysfunctional behavior and dysfunction in the home so that the family may remain intact and that the child and family remain productive in all areas of life.
CASA Frequently Asked Questions
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained citizen who is assigned by a judge to represent the best interests in court of a child who has been abused or neglected. Children helped by CASA volunteers include those who are in the legal custody of the state (foster care).
A CASA volunteer provides a judge with carefully researched background details about the child to help the court make a sound decision about that child’s future. Each foster care case is as unique as the child involved. The CASA volunteer makes recommendations in the best interest of the child – whether it is to return to their parents, to be placed with other family members, to be freed for adoption, or sometimes to remain in foster care a while longer. The CASA volunteer attends Court approximately once every 6 months to make recommendations and follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved.
A CASA volunteer is an individual who is at least 21 years of age, has successfully passed the application and screening process, is trained by the program, sworn-in as a CASA by the Judge, and appointed by the court to advocate for children who come into the court system as a result of abuse or neglect. The CASA volunteer respects a child’s inherent right to grow up with dignity in a safe environment that meets the child’s best interest, and advocates for the child’s best interest in the court at every stage of the case once appointed by the court. CASA volunteers are recruited without regard to race, gender, handicap, or age. The sole qualification for volunteer recruitment is the individual’s suitability to perform the CASA role.
The Referral and Action Process
- Submission of Concern or Complaint Anyone may do so but usually done by law enforcement, school officials, or parents.
- Investigation by FINS Officer.
- Family Assessment conducted if investigation finds that case meets criteria.
- Plan of Action and Service Delivery.
- Monitoring and Progress.
- FINS Panel (as needed)
- FINS Court Hearing (as needed)
The YSB FINS Program receives support from:
Capital One
Louisiana Supreme Court FINS Assistance Program
22nd Judicial District Court
St. Tammany and Washington Parish Schools
Making a Difference
The Youth Service Bureau (YSB) Endowment is an investment in the future of St. Tammany and Washington Parish communities. Your donation to the Endowment will remain intact while generating returns that support YSB programs and services for generations to come. Your investment helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the Youth Service Bureau as a beacon of hope in our community, helping at-risk youth and families reach their full potential.
Your support of Youth Service Programs is an investment in the future of the children we serve.
Contribute and Help
This is how your contribution helps children & families
$25 per month...
provides case management for a young student at risk of academic failure.
$50 per month...
provides background screening for CASA Volunteers for 24 children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
$100 per month...
supports substance abuse counseling for a youth & their family for a year.
A donation of $500...
provides 6 weeks of group counseling by a certified Anger Management Facilitator for up to 15 youth.
A donation of $1,000...
means that a sibling group of up to 5 children has the powerful voice of a trained and supervised CASA Volunteer for 6 months.