Marcia- I would be happy to talk with you more about this young person off-line to determine if the Mobile Legal Office may be of some assistance.

I can be reached at the number below.

Best,

Stacey

Stacey Violante Cote, Esq., MSW
Director, Teen Legal Advocacy Project

Hartford . Bridgeport . New Haven

Mailing address: 65 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: 860-570-5327 Fax:860-570-5256

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Legal help for teens at speakupteens.org

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From: KidsCounsel ListServ [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marcia Brubeck
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 8:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [KIDSCOUNSEL-L] question about child's transition from DCF to DMHAS

The child will turn 18yo in three-four weeks and has a voluntary services case with DCF. The guardian (a relative) refuses to house the child, the child is presently in a shelter, and DCF is saying that it is arranging for the child to transition to DMHAS services for housing (etc.) once she turns eighteen. I am the outpatient therapist. My question: can DCF transition a child to DMHAS who is not a ward of the state, or do the guardian’s rights have to be terminated first, with a subsequent petition for DCF to take custody, so that at the time of the child’s birthday she is a ward of the state? I worry that she will be homeless at eighteen, with services from neither DCF nor DMHAS. And the clock is ticking.

Marcia E. Brubeck, LCSW

Hartford, CT