Dakota County Interagency Team

Background

The Dakota County Interagency Team (DCIT) initially gathered in 1989 and officially formed in 1990 to serve in an independent, advisory and coordinating role for the purpose of developing and implementing a community-based delivery system that provides youth (children and adolescents) and their families access to a system of care that addresses cooperatively their educational, health, mental health, recreational, judicial, vocational and social service needs. In 1996, the DCIT's community-based strategy focuses on all residents of the county. The DCIT is locally viewed as a means to ensure that social services and programs are less fragmented, more coherent, and more responsive to local needs.

Mission

The mission of the Dakota County Interagency Team is to foster a means of communication so that an integrated and complimentary set of services can be provided, recognizing that the most significant catalyst for change necessary to improve the community is to partner the leaders and residents to coordinate an effective delivery system for Dakota County.

Philosophy

It is the belief of the DCIT that all communities are made up of people and the basic social core of any community is the family. The strength of any community is determined by the strength of its families and individual members. Children and youth issues are, in greater part, family and community issues. In working with families, services and programs should be available to preserve and strengthen the family whenever possible. Furthermore, the DCIT believes that community planning is an evolutionary process while addressing today's challenges and preparing for tomorrow's challenges.

The Dakota County Interagency Team recognizes that collaboration is essential for an integrated and complimentary set of services to be provided for Dakota County families. The Dakota County Interagency Team also recognizes that individuals and/or families who are at-risk or are currently troubled have multiple and changing needs that span a variety of services, agencies and systems.

Guiding Principles

Specifically, and in adherence to Nebraska's Family Policy Act (LB637, 1987), the Family Preservation and Support Five-Year Plan (1994-1998) as well as the Nebraska's Partnership Project (LB1044, 1996), the Dakota County Interagency Team recognizes the following principles for such a local, seamless system of care:

1. Collaboration is essential for an effective comprehensive array of services which addresses the physical, emotional, social and educational needs of Dakota County's residents.
2. The needs of children and adolescents should be addressed in the context of families. Any community program that is to be effective must meet the unique needs of the child and involve the active participation of the child's family. Families need to be given ample opportunities to participate and be responsible for their child's welfare.
3. The community should have the opportunity, authority and resources to make its own decisions.
4. Policy and program decisions should be based on real data, real families, and real services.
5. All individuals should receive services within the least restrictive, most normative environment possible for the optimum development and growth of the individual.
6. Families and surrogate families of individuals in need should be full participants in all aspects of the planning and delivering of services.

All residents should receive services that are integrated with linkages between agencies and programs as well as mechanisms for planning, developing and coordinating services.