Family Support Services

Managing financial, medical and personal responsibilities is just a fact of life. But problems such as unemployment, disabling medical issues, or unexpected expenses can make these responsibilities feel overwhelming.

Our social workers provide support to community members experiencing a crisis. In addition to providing mental health counseling and addiction treatment, they work with you to develop a customized plan to create change to make life manageable again by assisting with:

Basic Needs Assistance

Social work staff works with individuals and families who are facing challenging times and are struggling to meet the most basic of needs. Potential community resources are explored, as well as, JFS assistance for eligible clients when other resources are not available. Basic needs for which assistance may be provided are:

  • Food assistance
  • Personal care items
  • Utility assistance
  • Transportation assistance

Options for affordable housing are limited in our region, especially for those under 62 years of age. So, JFS social workers help clients explore available resources by:

  • Identifying housing resources
  • Identifying housing financial resources
  • Assisting with the application process for subsidized housing
  • Helping secure documentation required for government housing programs
  • Acting as a liaison with housing providers
Public Benefits Enrollment

Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) programs are designed to help individuals and families meet basic needs during times of financial challenges. But navigating the red tape of a government system can be difficult and discouraging.

JFS works with DHHS, work together to ensure that community members are able to access all benefits for which they are entitled. Our social workers are DHHS trained and certified to assist you in setting up your MI Bridges benefit account and applying for the following programs:

  • Adult home help
  • Child care subsidy
  • Food assistance
  • Family Independence program assistance (cash assistance)
  • Medical assistance
  • Eviction and utilities assistance

If you or someone you know needs help, contact us at 248.592.2313 or resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org.

Click here to watch a video about a community member helped by JFS.