Helping Parents Seeking Service Providers

GENERAL TIPS FOR SELECTING A SERVICE PROVIDER

When you are seeking services, the first step is to find a provider. There are essentially four ways to do this if you do not already know of a provider:

1. Do your own research. You can ask a friend, family member, counselor, attorney, or other trusted professional if they have a referral for the service you need. Use caution and careful research when selecting a provider from an online search.
2. Check with your healthcare providers for a referral. Many healthcare providers (such as Kaiser) maintain referral lists for their patients.
3. Use the 211 website. 211.org - external link is an agency that provides free and confidential information and referral services to various non-profit and governmental service providers.
4. Use the ' Provider Lists’ found below. The Family Court maintains provider lists as a convenience to court users and has established certain criteria the providers are expected to meet in order to be included on the list. The purpose of the criteria is to maintain professional standards among our community providers who self-certify that they meet the given standards. The court does not verify, approve, or monitor any of the listed providers. While the court makes provider lists available on its website, the choice of a provider is left up to the court user.

Regardless which path you choose, below is a listing of the criteria your provider should meet, based on the specific service they offer. Talk to the provider to ask them about the following as well as any of your own questions about their services, background, experience, etc.

For All Providers:

• Confirm the provider offers the service you are seeking and will meet any requirements set by the court
• Confirm that the provider’s location, hours, and fees work for you
• Ensure they provide services in the language you need
• Be certain you understand their cancelation policy and any limits to confidentiality
• The provider should be covered by professional malpractice insurance
• Refer to the "Criterion and Provider Contract for Inclusion on Sacramento Superior Court Provider Lists"

Mental Health Services

Selecting a mental health services provider is a very personal choice. At a minimum, make sure that the provider you choose is:

• Licensed in good standing. The websites of the Board of Behavioral Science - external link, the California Board of Psychology - external link and the Medical Board of California - external link allow consumers to verify the license status of the providers they oversee
• Willing to explain their approach to treatment
• Willing to examine your progress at intervals to determine if additional services are needed

Provider Lists

These lists are provided to assist parents find services that might be helpful to their family, or to comply with court orders. The lists below include some of the providers that offer services that parents might need. Inclusion on these lists is not an endorsement of the provider by the Court.

Printable version of each provider list

• Alcohol and Other Drug Services / Genetic Testing
• Anger Management
• Co-Parenting Education
• Supervised Visitation
• Private Child Custody Recommending Counseling

These lists are offered solely as a service to parents. Family Court has not investigated or evaluated the competence or qualifications of the providers who are on these lists and does not endorse or recommend any provider. The information in each listing was self-reported by the individual provider and Family Court makes no warranty or guarantee concerning its accuracy or reliability. Parents are encouraged to fully investigate the credentials of and methods employed by the providers to best determine if the provider will be a good match for your need.

Information for Service Providers

The Sacramento Superior Court maintains lists of service providers for the benefit of parents. It is the goal of the court to provide parents with the most comprehensive list of qualified services possible. Towards this end, we encourage new providers to request inclusion on our lists.

Criteria for inclusion on our provider lists are contained in the Criterion and Provider Contract for Inclusion on Sacramento Superior Court Provider Lists. If you meet the criteria for inclusion on our lists, please complete and return the application to:

Sacramento Superior Court
William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
Court Administration
3341 Power Inn Road, Room 318
Sacramento, CA 95826

Please note that standards for drug and genetic testing laboratories are not included in the Criterion and Provider Contract.

It is the responsibility of the provider to notify the court in writing of changes which renders you ineligible for inclusion on one or more lists.

Providers will be listed by company name and will not be listed more than once on each list.

The provider lists are updated quarterly, on the first business day of February, May, August and November. Please submit your new application or changes to Court Administration at the above address by the 25th of the month preceding the update month. Applications are valid for one year and must be re-submitted annually to remain on the list.

Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Complaint Procedures

If you are dissatisfied with the services you receive from a provider on one of the court's lists, and you would like to inform the Court of your concern, please follow these complaint procedures.