Chesapeake HELPS! serves as the gateway to services with resource and referral information available to all residents of the mid-shore area.  Resource Specialists will help ensure a child-centered, family-focused, community-based, and culturally competent System of Care.  Resource Specialists will answer calls; assess needs; and navigate callers immediately to the appropriate resources.  Later, they will follow up to make sure callers have been connected to the resources and are satisfied with the services received. 

Families that are assessed to have a child with intensive needs will be connected with a Family Navigator, who will accompany the family as they access services and are comfortably integrated into care management.  The Family Navigator program is linked to Chesapeake HELPS! and managed by the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health.  Chesapeake HELPS! also provides general information for community members to access a broad array of family and child focused resources, services, programs, and organizations in the five counties.

Chesapeake HELPS! has successfully completed the national  accreditation requirements set by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems.  There are 122 total accredited sites in the United States and Canada and only two in the state of Maryland.  Chesapeake Helps! is one of those two agencies for our state.

Organizations must obtain 200 distinct operational components set by AIRS Standards.  The accreditation process establishes areas of quality and effectiveness, community involvement, and organizational stability.  The accreditation process shows the commitment of the Chesapeake Helps! staff to obtain and provide the highest quality of service to our community.