Parenting Skills program provides counseling services for individuals and families who are in the process of investigation or resolution of issues related to DCS involvement or for juveniles referred through the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.

Counselors are Master’s level therapists and their services are provided in our Tempe office or in the client’s home, depending on the referring case manager. All counselors have a minimum of 24 hours of training on clinical issues per year. They are either licensed or participate in weekly supervision with a certified professional counselor.

Counselors use and build on family strengths to help family members maintain their identity as a family and their family relationships during separation. Counselors have therapeutic conversations with clients about the issues that led to DCS intervention or juvenile court involvement. They also help facilitate communication and problem solving among family members.

Both counselors and parent aides disseminate information on parenting and effective individual functioning. Counselors also prepare monthly written reports that are submitted to DCS or ADJC probation officer.


Is there a cost to me as the client?

There is no cost to DCS or ADJC clients. The agency is paid through its contract with DCS.

What is the relationship between Parenting Skills Program and DCS? Is Parenting Skills the same as DCS?

Parenting Skills is not DCS. It is a private agency committed to assessing situations fairly and helping to maintain individual and family integrity. Because of the nature of our contract, our reports and assessments are submitted directly to DCS, so counseling and parent aide services are not confidential to anyone involved in the case. They are confidential to outside parties.

How much time can my counselor spend with me/my family?

For DCS referred cases, the counselor is authorized for 20-30 sessions or 6 months (whichever time comes first). Actual length of services can vary, depending on case plan and completion of goals.

ADJC referred cases are authorized for 8 sessions or 2 months (whichever comes first).

What happens if I miss an appointment or need to cancel?

The agency will not continue to work with clients who repeatedly miss appointments. The agency expects clients to keep appointments or call to cancel. Repeated missed appointments may result in discontinuation of services. The cancellation policy for counseling services is:

  • Clients of Parenting Skills Program are expected to keep their appointments with Parenting Skills staff.
  • Barring an unforeseen documentable emergency, if a client cannot keep his or her appointment, he or she will be expected to call the agency or staff to cancel within 12 hours of the appointment. Failure to do this will be considered a no-show.
  • Once a client has three no-shows, staff personnel are no longer required to schedule further appointments until a staffing can be held with the client and the referral source to address the problem.
  • Assigned staff will write the client a letter detailing the three no-shows and inform clients that he or she must contact his or her case manager to set up a staffing to address the issue before services will resume. This letter will be sent to the case manager and placed in the client file.

If the client does not respond to this letter or if the client continues to no-show even after the staffing is held, the assigned staff will approach the clinical supervisor about closing the case.

Where do sessions occur?

In-office sessions occur at our Tempe HRT office. Referrals received for in-home sessions are conducting in the client’s home.

Can I request a different counselor be assigned to me?

If there is not a good fit between the client and the referred staff, the person requesting the change can put their concerns in writing to the program director, and, if there is good reason, a new counselor may be assigned.

How long will my counselor wait for me if I am late?

The agency waiting time is 15 minutes, after that the appointment is considered a missed visit.


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