Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The purpose of the Families Overcoming Crisis through Unified Services (FOCUS) project is to enhance access to services that address the trauma and developmental needs of young children as well as the complex needs of their parents (including mental health and substance use services, and therapy focused on the parent-child bond) through a collaboration between Suffolk County Family Court, Child Protective Services (DSS) and Hope For Youth. Since its inception in 1998, New York State’s Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC) has helped individuals who have a child neglect case due to alcohol or substance abuse get back together and stay together with their children. Because of limited resources, cases with co-occurring or severe disorders have often been excluded. Of the 149 families screened by the FTDC in 2017, 38 (25%) were found to be ineligible. FOCUS will address this gap by incorporating an experienced Family/Child Specialist for: (1) comprehensive early assessment and psychosocial evaluation of families with neglect petitions filed in Suffolk County; (2) collaboration with the interdisciplinary team in their addressing of families complex needs, including the early identification and provision of a continuum of mental health services; and (3) selection and training of foster parents to ensure availability for frequent visits with family and willingness to engage with birth parents. By including both Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), an evidence-based intervention for trauma-exposed children and increased parental visitation for children removed from their home, FOCUS will work to support and strengthen the relationship between the child and his or her parent. Of all the children removed from their parents in Suffolk County in 2016, 60% were under the age of 6 and 45% were age birth to three years. Experiences that children have early in life influence their developing brain and thus can have lasting impacts on their health and well-being throughout their lives. Therefore, this project will place an emphasis on infants and toddlers who have entered foster care in Suffolk County. FOCUS will increase the capacity of the FTDC and expand the availability of services to all families that enter the child welfare system by training and redefining the role and responsibilities of the FTDC case managers and institutionalizing the collaborative efforts of our agency partners. By the end of the grant period, 175 total families (35 annually) will be offered services. FOCUS will provide each family a screening for developmental, social, emotional or family concerns, as well as expedited and enhanced delivery of targeted, high quality services for children and families. The intended outcomes are: (1) a reduction of moves in care/custody; (2) increased parenting time; and (3) better and more timely outcomes for families. This initiative seeks to achieve lasting permanency and improve long term life outcomes for children and families by employing a family-centered, trauma informed, cross-system collaborative approach with an enhanced focus on infants and toddlers who have entered foster care.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
