Home Based Services

Outpatient Services

Residential Services

Response Services

Home Based Services

DEFINITION: Sometimes also called Family Preservation, Home Based or Family Based Services, these are services designed to prevent the removal of children and adolescents from their homes for a variety of family related problems, or to assist with a child’s reunification following placement. These services occupy a place on the continuum of care between outpatient family treatment and in-patient or residential services.

These services are different from all other TCAS services in the way they begin. Intensive Home Based Services must be initiated by a recommendation made to you by one of three agents you may be involved with. These are: Children’s Protective Services, Juvenile Court or a Psychiatrist. The person who tells you about us will be someone you already know and are working with. Here’s what will happen.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS:

Getting Started: First that person will tell you a little bit about us and why they believe these services might help you with problems you are having with your son or daughter. If you agreed to look closer at this program they will then set up an introductory meeting with you and your spouse (if married). Depending on the situation they may ask that you and other significant adults (if any living in your house) be present and possibly your child or children. The referring person will be there for part of this first meeting with us and you. The meeting may be held in your home if you wish.

By doing this you are not agreeing to anything except to get a better idea of what we do so that you can make an informed decision. We will tell you more about us and answer questions. Then the person who referred you will tell you what they need to see changed to keep your child safe in the home and how these services might help you. After that they will leave; we will talk more closely with you and the family members present asking how each of you sees this problem, what needs to be different and what you’ve already tried. If by the end of the meeting you believe we can help you and you want these services, we will discuss how to proceed and you may be asked to sign some papers agreeing to services and related issues.

Receiving Services: The programs vary somewhat in emphasis, in different counties. For instance in some counties services are provided by a single worker and in other counties by a team of two. In all cases there are three priorities for these programs. The first is insuring that your child and/or the community remain safe during the time we work with the stated problems, second that your family and child make the changes necessary to reduce or eliminate the concern of placement and thirdly that things at termination are organized to maintain these changes into the future such that your child can grow up at home.

To do this we meet in your home one or more times per week. We focus on helping you sort out what’s going on and to experiment with different approaches or strategies which can improve the problems. Occasionally some of these new recommendations may seem unusual and we encourage you to voice any questions and work with us. These programs have had very good statistical results (since TCAS began them in 1996) in keeping children from being removed or returning them safely. The other focus of these services is to help you make contacts which bring you more information, and access to available services you may want which contribute to solving the problem. For example if your child is having a problem with school and you feel you need help getting more connected with key persons, we can assist. We may inform you of community resources you were not aware of or advocate for you with key agencies.

We maintain 24 hour availability if your family experiences a crisis related to the problems we are helping you with. In some cases, if you are interested, we will teach a systematic approach to parenting difficult children. As services progress typically families become more confident that they can address situations effectively without assistance and they are on the way to termination.

Termination: Termination usually includes linkage with the referral source to report on the status of the original problem. Sometimes there may be referral to follow up services such as individual counseling, tutoring or substance abuse treatment. In some cases, where it looks like it could help, we remain available to advise or consult with families on an occasional basis after termination.

Admission Criteria: Referral criteria include cases where the primary problem may be mental health, delinquency or parental neglect/abuse. The service is mainly a crisis service with the expectation of long term remediation of the presenting problem. Therefore, the main criteria for inclusion pertains to the intensity and immediacy of the disruption within the family system or community. Children facing imminent placement as defined by the placing agent (mental health, Juvenile Justice, or Child Protective Services) are the most eligible and workable referrals for this type of service. If there is not an eminent risk and only supportive services are required Home based serviced would not be appropriate. Cases where safety of the children would be compromised by leaving them in the home are not accepted. Cases may be accepted for reunification where a child returning from placement could not be expected to retain stability without such services.