Family Preservation
In all of our Family Preservation programs, services are delivered in the families homes or other mutually agreed on community locations. A mixture of counseling, skills training and concrete services are offered to meet the unique needs of each family.
Services include:
· Parenting Skills Training
· Crisis Intervention
· Home Management Skills
· Budgeting Assistance
· Safety Planning
· Concrete Assistance (transportation, emergency financial assistance, housing)
· Advocacy with Service Provider/Community Resources
· Referral for Substance Abuse, Mental Health or other Counseling
Preservation programs are unified by their goal to preserve Michigan families by keeping children safely in their own homes. All programs use a strength-based and family-centered approach with the families referred for service. Our programs differ in the length/intensity of service, program eligibility and the locations where they are offered. LCFS is proud to be the largest provider of Family Preservations services in the State of Michigan.
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
Families First
LCFS offers Families First of Michigan (FFM) in 44 counties across Michigan. Families are referred to the program through the Department of Human Services (DHS), as well as some Juvenile Courts and Domestic Violence Shelters. Generally, families are referred in order to prevent what would otherwise be imminent placement of a child into a foster home.
In conjunction with the referring worker and the FFM worker, the family establishes goals for the interventions so the child(ren) can remain safely in their own home. Interventions typically last 28 days and the FFM worker spends an average of 10 hours per week with a family.
Family Reunification Program (FRP)
FRP assists families during the transition period when a child(ren) return from out-of-home placement/foster care. Services are delivered by a Team Leader who provides weekly therapy and a Family Worker who helps the family address needs, and supports the family as they reintegrate the child(ren) into daily family life. Families receive an average of four hours of face-to-face service per week, typically for a period of four months.
Some of the areas the FRP team may assist the family with include:
- Parenting skills
- Communication Skills
- Substance Abuse Education
- Home Management
- Domestic Violence Education
- Budgeting Skills
Family Support Programs (FSP)- Including Family Intervention (FI) and Family Advocate Program (FAP)
This "family" of in-home programs is offered by LCFS in conjunction with the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Northwestern Michigan. FSP is often used as a less intensive "step-down" to Families First as a way to continue positive progress. These programs have flexible eligibility guidelines and accept families involved in all DHS children's programs. Interventions typically last for a period of six months and families are seen at least weekly in their home by an LCFS worker.