A $4.77 million social service safety net for senior citizens, juveniles and the mentally ill is being spread this week in Ocean County, with the awarding of 19 contracts by the county's freeholders.

Senior citizen nutrition and socialization programs delivered by Community Services Inc. of Ocean County, Lakewood, will cost $2.54 million. That includes $1.09 million for weekday home delivered meals, $121,479 to provide them on weekends, and $782,173 for meals for the elderly served at nutrition sites around the county.

Another $508,583 will be spent by the same agency for socialization efforts. The bulk of the money for those programs comes from the federal Older Americans Act.

Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said 220,000 home delivered meals will be provided under the terms of the contracts. Another 68,000 meals will be served at nutrition sites, where the average age of participants is 84.

"These programs are an integral part of our senior program network,'' Vicari said.

Another $2.2 million will be spent on mental health, housing rehabilitation and juvenile services.

Those contracts include:

• $623,586 to Ocean Mental Health Services Inc. and $608,586 to Preferred Behavioral Health of New Jersey for community mental health services.

• $367,845 to St. Barnabas Health Care System's Kimball Medical Center for psychiatric screening and crisis intervention.

• $81,500 to Ocean Mental Health for in-home counseling for the county's Department of Juvenile Services.

• $80,000 to Monmouth Ocean Forensic Associates for special needs and sex offender treatment for Juvenile Services.

• $138,628 to Ocean's Harbor House for its family crisis intervention unit to serve Juvenile Services.

• $77,100 to Youth Education and Transition Services for mentoring for Juvenile Services.

• $63,000 to Preferred Behavioral Health for after school partial care for Juvenile Services.

• $53,000 to Preferred Behavioral Health for substance abuse evaluation and treatment for Juvenile Services.

• $19,845 to the New Hope Foundation for inpatient substance abuse treatment for Juvenile Services.

• $15,000 to Community Medical Center's Center for Kids and Family delinquency prevention program for Juvenile Services.

• $1,940 to Integrated Care Concepts and Consultation for consulting services for Juvenile Services.

Another $$106,000 will be spent by Affordable Housing Administrators to run the county's housing rehabilitation program.