What is a Family Connections Program? An Overview of a New Service Approach Being Developed by the Bay Area Residentially Based Services Consortium

The Challenge To better meet the needs of those children and youth who’s challenging behaviors and disrupted family relationships now still result in a cascade of multiple placements, despite the availability of intensive home and community services through wraparound, therapeutic behavioral services and intensive treatment foster care The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20092

The Response To stop the cascade of placements at the beginning By providing a safe and stable short term residential component in a family connections center where program staff can help children or youth and their families: – Understand the driving forces behind the big behaviors and family disruptions – Develop strategies for living together safely and effectively – Practice those strategies both on site at the family connections center and at home and in the community – Receive the support and services needed to complete the adjustments required to maintain their new life strategies after the child or youth has returned home. The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20093

What’s Different The way group homes are used now for residential treatment is to try a placement at one facility, and if the strategies used there don’t work, move the child or youth to another one The problem with searching in this manner is that each move further shreds the already limited ability of the child or youth to form and sustain positive attachments Family Connections Programs are designed to be able to change intervention strategies without having to move children They are like Mayo Clinics for families with complex needs The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20094

What’s in an FCP? There are four primary components in an FCP: – A residential component that maintains a safe and stable milieu for children and youth who are generating big behaviors related to the disruption of their family relationships – A family connections component that uses a multi-disciplinary, family- centered process to work with children or youth and their families or primary adult caregivers to understand and address the driving forces behind the behaviors and disruptions – A mobile family support component that can help children, youth and families transfer the insights and skills they develop in the family connections center out into their homes and communities – A clinical assessment and treatment component that can help children youth and families better understand and respond to specific psycho- social and neurobiological factors affecting child and youth behaviors and family relationship disruptions The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20095

What’s the FCP Process? The 4 steps of the FCP process are designed to produce 4 products: Process StepsProducts Engagement and Assessment Answers and Understanding Plan DevelopmentStrategies and Actions Plan Implementation and Modification Learning, Changes and Adjustments TransitionStability and Maintenance The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20096

What Services Are Included? A Family Connections Program provides a hub from which a rich array of support and services can be accessed Each child or youth and family brings with them a different set of strengths, needs, culture and preferences For this reasons each response by the FCP must be uniquely assembled from the available options The service team and the family have to know, understand and trust one another to effectively match help with needs The core services for identifying and executing this match are contained within the FCP The extended array of options is available directly, or through subcontracts and referrals made by the FCP service team The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20097

Bringing Everything Together FCP Core Components Family Support Team Residential Resource Clinical Assessment & Treatment Family Connection Activities Day Treatment Intensive Treatment Foster Care Functional Family Therapy Multi- Systemic Therapy Therapeutic Behavioral Services Wraparound Parent Effectiveness Training Crisis Stabilization Mobile Crisis Services Building Social Support Family Finding and Engagement Family Resource Centers The core components of a Family Connections Program includes the Family Support Team, The Family Connections Activities, the Residential Resource, and the Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services. Examples of the array of support and treatment service options that can be provided directly, by subcontract or through referral are arranged around the core components. FCP Service and Support Options 8

Family Connections Programs and Permanency Sometimes when children and youth have challenging behaviors and family disruptions that place them on the brink of a life course of multiple placements and detachment, it is unclear where and with whom their best opportunity for achieving safety, permanency and well-being can be achieved. Traditionally, this challenge has been addressed through trying out multiple living arrangements As an alternative in these circumstances, the FCP will be a crucible where permanency issues can be evaluated and resolved, including questions related to concurrent planning and parental capacity while maintaining a family-centered focus The core question driving permanency resolution is “What and who does this child or youth, with her or his complex of strengths, needs and preferences, need in order to achieve permanency, safety and well-being?” The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14, 20099

BAC RBS System Flow Chart Primary CM selects FCP as an option IPC authorizes FCP enrollment Child and family matched with appropriate FCP Begin Family Engagement, Establish FST. Parallel Comm. Services Stabilization and assessment in Residential Component FST Facilitator Builds Strengths/ Needs/ Goals Inventory Convene FST develop Unified Plan of Care Clinical Care Unit completes assessment MH Clinician prepares individual MH treatment plan Implem ent Unified Plan of care FST monitors and documents services and progress, reports to court and IAPRC, adjusts plans, moves to transition Gradual and supported transition to a stable and resilient family and community connection supported by directly accessed formal, informal and natural resources Referral and Intake Implementation Closure FTM used in CW., Probation Officer, in JJ, or MH Case Manager Authorization follows Consortium Criteria and Protocols Referrals coordinated via the BAC Coordinator CW and JJ placements must be pursuant to ct. order The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14,

Bay Area Consortium Organizational Chart BAC Executive Committee: 4 County Mental Health Directors 4 County Child Welfare Directors 4 Provider Executive Directors BAC Coordinating Committee: 4 County Mental Health LeadsYouth Advocacy Representative 4 County Child Welfare LeadsFamily Advocacy Representative 4 Provider LeadsEducational Liaisons Juvenile Probation LiaisonsCommunity Service Agency Liaisons Coordinating Committee Support: BAC Coordinator Local Implementation Coordinators RBS Consultants 4 County Interagency Placement Committees 4 Family Connections Programs 3 Executive Co- Chairs 3 CC Co-Chairs The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14,

The BAC Network of Resource Connections Within 2 years of operation, the BAC will consist of a network of 4 FCPs serving approximately 100 children or youth and their families. Each FCP will have a capacity of 25 enrollees. Each county will contract or arrange for from 10 to 55 enrollments at any given time. The BAC Family Connections Program Overview, August 14,