Family Ties Of West Chester Inc

Child safety conferencesin response to the federal family first prevention services act enacted february 9, 2018, westchester county department of social services partnered with family ties of westchester, inc. To establish new programing that supports the goal of increasing the number of children who can remain safely at home with their families and avoid the traumatic experience of entering the foster care system. In passing this law, congress recognized that too many children are unnecessarily separated from parents who could provide safe and loving care if given access to needed mental health services, substance misuse treatment and/or improved parenting skills.using a strengths-based, family team decision-making model, caregivers at risk of having their children removed due to incidents of abuse or neglect, come together with child welfare representatives and related service providers during the child safety conference to discuss presenting concerns, address barriers to child wellbeing, and identify resources or programming that will meet the family's needs and contribute their ability to successfully maintain their children in the home. In addition to master's level meeting facilitators, a family ties' family peer advocate (fpa) is on the team as a support to the caregiver. They have experienced the fear, stigma, and confusion of needing services in complex, jargon-filled systems. They have navigated service systems and advocated for themselves, their family, and their community. Utilizing the experience and skill of family peer advocates in a collaborative parent-to-parent model lets caregivers know that they are not alone and ensures that their voice is heard in the creation of service plan that best meets their family's unique needs.in 2024, the child safety conference program served 356 families.

Crisis stabilization programfunded by the ny state office of mental health, and in partnership with three local community-based clinical providers, family ties provides individualized family peer support services to caregivers of children at imminent risk of psychiatric hospitalization, re-hospitalization or emergency room visits. During this short term (eight to twelve week) intervention, the family peer advocate (fpa) participates in the initial assessment, actively contributing a family-support lens to the process of safety planning and brief crisis intervention. The fpa engages the caregiver, other family members, school staff, as well as community providers in a team approach, while providing linkages to a range of family support services, including individual support and advocacy, as well as a connection to the longer-term, family ties resource community. The fpa brings to bear their lived experience, local knowledge, and cultural humility to foster connectedness among natural supports, activities and services within the community, and assists the family to develop their own protective factors and sources of support.in 2024, the crisis stabilization program served 55 families.