Service to the Aged & Disabled     Service for Families, Children and Youth

Social Services Goals

Social Services are available in the State to help eligible individuals and families:

• Achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency
  
• Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or prevention of dependency
  
• Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitations of children and adults unable to protect their own interest or preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families
  
• Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less intensive care

Eligibility for Services

Services will be available throughout the State to persons in need to help them reach one of the five program goals listed above. Persons must be eligible under one of the following categories:

1. Current recipients of the Aid to Dependent Children Program (ADC).
   
2. Current recipients of the Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI), persons eligible for SSI special benefits, or recipients of the Nebraska State Supplemental Program.
   
3. Low Income Aged: Persons who are 60 years of age or older with gross monthly income of $976 or less for a family of one, or gross monthly income of $1,095 or less for family of two or more.
   
4. Low Income Disabled: Persons age 19 through 59 with:
   
1. A medically verifiable physical or mental impairment which substantially hinders them from engaging in occupations such as employment or homemaking; and
2. Gross monthly income of $976 or less for a family of one, or gross monthly income of $1,095 or less for a family of two or more.

5. Low Income Family: A family unit with gross monthly income, adjusted by family size must be less than $1,767 for a family of four.
   
6. Without Regard to Income: All persons requiring Protective Services, or families receiving Family and Child Welfare Services.
   
7. Center Based Child Care Services: Persons whose gross monthly income is at or below 185% of poverty (e.g. below $3,269 for a family of four) for Transitional Child Care, and 120% of poverty (e.g. below $2,120 for a family of four) for non-Transitional Child Care.

Need criteria for each specific service must also be met in order to establish eligibility for services. Income adjustments were made in July 2008 for SSCF services. Income adjustments for SSAD services were made in January 2008 to coincide with the COLA increases.

Social Services Application

Information about Nebraska’s Social Service Block Grant Program is available on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Web Site and at local Health and Human Services Offices.  In these locations, individuals may apply to receive any of the services listed below.

Services to the Aged and Disabled

Chore Services

Activities including housekeeping tasks, laundry, preparation of food and essential shopping.

Day Services for Adults

1. Services provided for part of the day in a supervised setting outside a person’s own home to prevent unnecessary institutionalization through intensive and individualized opportunities for intellectual, physical, and social activities and instruction in personal care and independent living; and
   
2. In-home supervision to allow caregiver participation in employment and training.

Home Delivered and Congregate Meals

Preparation of nourishing meals delivered to a person’s home, or served in a dining facility

Protective Services for Adults

1. Receiving and responding to reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults 18 years of age and older who are unable to protect or care for themselves; and.
2. Investigating reported situations, counseling and providing services coordination to arrange needed services or legal intervention.

Transportation Services for Adults

Travel for the aged and persons with disabilities to health related treatment or care and other designated community facilities and resources.

Services for Families, Children and Youth

Homemaker and Family Support Services - Families

In-home assistance and instruction to maintain and strengthen families and alleviate stress within the home, including the supervision and care of children. Out-of-home instruction in child welfare or child protective services cases to maintain and strengthen families, alleviate stresses in the home or prepare the biological family for return of the child to the home. In-home or out-of-home supervision and care of children for up to 24 hours per day due to temporary absence of the usual caregiver due to hospitalization and/or recovery from an illness.

Center Based Child Care Services

Child care services provided to foster parents or low income families to support parent(s) in employment and/or training/education when such services are being provided in a proprietary child care center.

Protective Services for Children

1. Activities to protect the rights, health and welfare of children under age 18 to insure that they have an opportunity for healthy growth and development;
   
2. Receiving and responding to reports, investigating reported situations, counseling and arranging for services needed; and
   
3. Services to children and families to maintain and strengthen families and alleviate stresses within the home.
   
4. Services to Foster Parents who are employed or in an education/training program can receive child assistance with no co-pay requirement.

Transportation Services - Families

Travel necessary to receive Child Care Services, Family Planning Services, to participate in the Health Check (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment) Program, to receive necessary health-related treatment or care, to allow parents to visit a child in the hospital and to receive Family and Child Welfare or Protective Services provided by the Health and Human Services Agency or other community resources.

Comments on this information may be addressed to:

Social Services Block Grant
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-5026

Social Service Block Grant Plan Page