Pooled Funds - Stark County Family Council

The Pooled Funds Group

The Pooled Funds Group (PFG) was developed in 1992 in Stark County through a formal contract agreement to support the provision of specialized, multi-need services to specially identified children and their families in a coordinated, focused fashion. The PFG is comprised of: the Stark County Department of Jobs and Family Services, the Stark County Community Mental Health Board, the Stark County Board of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, the Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services Board of Stark County, the Stark County Family Court, the Canton City School District, and the Fairless Local School District. An annual agreement is executed by this group and specifies their level of financial commitment for that year. Other public or non-profit agencies may become PFG members and a party to the agreement upon presenting to the PFG a written resolution adopted by the agency’s governing body authorizing the agency to become a party to the agreement, and authorizing the payment of a minimum contribution of two thousand, five hundred ($2,500.00) dollars to the Stark County Family Council’s Pooled Funds Account.

Annual contributions support the provision of specialized, multi-need services to specially identified children and their families in a coordinated, focused fashion. Nothing in the agreement prohibits the contribution or further encumbrance of funds beyond the established levels, as an individual PFG member deems best. These additional funds may be designated for a specific purpose which aids the group’s purpose of supporting the provision of specialized, multi-need services to specially identified children and their families in a coordinated, focused fashion [e.g. WrapAround, Comprehensive Strategies/Partnership for Success, Early Intervention services].

The PFG enters into a contract with the Stark County Family Council to administer this fund and to provide staff support to the process. A minimal administrative cost is paid from the Pool to the Stark County Family Council for these services.

The PFG designates the ACCORD, comprised of appointed staff representatives from each of the PFG members or systems, to manage the care and treatment of youth and families who have very intense, complex needs. Requests for the funding of services from the Pooled Funds Account for a child and family with multiple needs and experiencing problems in multiple child-serving systems is presented to the ACCORD for approval of funding.

The Pooled Funds Group carries additional functions to that of “pooling” funds. The PFG acts as collaborative partners, active in: problem solving community system issues; planning and implementing projects; establishing local protocols in an effort to support the following targeted goals:

To support families to function autonomously;
To build on family strengths;
To help families access an array of services to maintain the family unit; and
To minimize the need for out-of-home placement of children who are difficult to handle.

The WrapAround Process is a result of the effort of the PFG. Building on the success of the WrapAround Process, and to assist in reaching these goals, the Stark County PFG has developed a Cross System Integrated Network Of Care for children & their families that provides a framework for consensus decision making responsive to the unique circumstances of youth and their families. Building on the strong history of collaboration and “ownership of children as belonging to the community”, the Cross System Integrated Network Of Care helps in developing service capacity in the community and delivering services in the least restrictive setting and in a cost effective manner.

PF Flow Chart Document

As well, the PFG acts as the Oversight group for the Comprehensive Strategy/Partnership for Success Project in Stark County.
If you would like further information on the ACCORD, please contact Susan Hays, ext. 303, or Carol Lichtenwalter, ext. 304, at the Stark County Family Council at (330) 455-1225.