Referrals

Referrals for Connections services come from many different sources. The majority comes from the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services. Referrals also come from hospitals, physicians, other mental health agencies, the other child-serving systems, parents, and schools. To make a referral, please contact the PEP Connections Intake Manager at 216-361-9100 or go directly to the website at www.pepconnref.org.

PEP Connections makes it possible for many children facing mental health or behavioral crises to stay with their families in the community instead of being brought into residential care. They don’t take a one-size fits all approach. They are very effective at understanding what the critical needs are for the child and the family and they help develop an individualized plan that will work for them. Instead of taking the typical approach of asking what social service best fits this family, they ask what does this family need, and how can we make it happen. Most importantly, they build on strengths instead of focusing on problems, allowing them to turn problems into opportunities.

Gerald Blake, Deputy Director for Community Partnerships, Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services