Help for Families in Mercer County

If your child is struggling, you are not alone, and you do not have to figure it out by yourself. CCCC helps Mercer County families find and connect to the right support. Our help is free.

You Are Not Alone

0 %

of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14

0 %

of children ages 8-15 experiencing a mental health condition don't receive treatment

0 %

of high school students seriously consider suicide

0 %

of children aged 3-17 experience one or more mental health conditions

*statistics reported from www.mhanational.org/quick-facts

Is CCCC Right for Your Family?

CCCC supports children and youth who face behavioral health, developmental, or complex medical challenges. We are a care management organization, or CMO. That means we do not provide therapy or treatment ourselves. We connect your family to the right services and help you build a plan that fits your child. If you are not sure whether CCCC is the right fit, the first phone call will help you find out.

Call PerformCare Now

How to Connect to CCCC Services

Getting connected is straightforward. Here is how it works:

Call PerformCare

Call PerformCare at 877-652-7624.
PerformCare is New Jersey's central phone line for children's behavioral health services. They will do a short screening and connect you to the right.

Complete A Needs Assessment

A Clinical Provider will be assigned to you to complete a Needs Assessment for your child. The assessment is scheduled within 72 hours.

Receive a Referral for Local Services

This includes referral for CCCC's Care Management services if eligibility is determined. Otherwise, your family will be connected to other services including but not limited to Outpatient Services, etc.

Still have questions? We are here.

Good to Know

The assessment/connection process can take 3–5 weeks. The Family Support Organization (FSO) - (609) 586-1200, mercerfso.org - can support you; their staff are parents/guardians with lived experience. Mobile Response sends trained clinicians to your home to de-escalate a crisis.

What Is the Children's System of Care?

The Children's System of Care, or CSOC, is New Jersey's statewide network of services for children and youth with emotional, behavioral, developmental, and substance use needs. CCCC is the local part of that system for Mercer County. PerformCare is the front door. CCCC is the partner that walks with you once you are inside.

What Is a Care Manager?

A care manager is your guide and advocate. They get to know your child and family, help you set goals, connect you to providers and resources, and keep everyone on the same page. They do not replace your doctor or therapist. They make sure all the pieces work together.

What Is Wraparound Care?

You may have heard the word "wraparound" and wondered what it means. It is a fair question, and it makes sense once it is explained.

What Wraparound Means

Wraparound is an approach to care that starts with the family Your care manager helps you form a Child Family Team, or CFT, made up of the people who know your child best. Read more about wraparound care.. Instead of fitting your child into a pre-set program, we build a support plan around your child's specific needs, strengths, and goals. That plan might include behavioral health services, school supports, community resources, and family coaching, all working together. It is called "wraparound" because the services wrap around the child and family, not the other way around.

Why Wraparound Works

Children do better when they stay in their homes and communities. Wraparound care keeps families together by providing the right mix of support at the right time. Our experience shows the same thing again and again: children heal and grow best when they are surrounded by people who know and love them.

What This Looks Like at CCCC

Your CCCC care manager will meet with you in person, at home, at school, or in the community. Together, you will build a Child Family Team, or CFT, a group of people who know your child best. That team develops a plan and stays with your family through every step. CCCC's role is to coordinate, connect, and advocate, never to judge or tell families what to do.

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Additional Services We Offer

Most families come to us for care management — one care manager who helps you build a plan and connects you to services. Some families need something more specific. These programs sit alongside care management for families whose needs call for specialized support.

Specialized Care Coordination

For children and teens with problematic sexual behavior

Problematic sexual behavior (PSB) is sexualized behavior in children and adolescents that goes beyond what is typical for their age, and that may be harmful to the child or to others.

Specialized Care Coordination helps make sure that children who initiate or are affected by PSB - and their families - can reach specialized medical and mental health care. After an initial evaluation, treatment may include individual, group, or family counseling.

Medical evaluations are provided through Mercer County's designated Regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center (RDTC), Dorothy B. Hersch, in New Brunswick.

Behavioral Health Home

For young people up to age 21 with a chronic medical condition

Some children live with a long-term medical condition and face mental health, intellectual or developmental, or substance use challenges at the same time. Behavioral Health Home services are built for those families.

Working with your Child Family Team (CFT) - the group of people who know your child best - Behavioral Health Home plans around your child's specific medical and physical health needs, and bridges your family to both general and specialized medical care.

Wellness domains

In support of the wraparound model of care, we mindfully focus on wellness domains that help build resilience and enables youth and families to thrive amidst life’s challenges. Focusing on the interconnectedness of each wellness domain considers the WHOLE person and assists with optimally functioning within your current environment.