HomeFamilies and IndividualsFamily Preservation Our Services 1. Crisis Stabilization Services The Regional Support Network authorizes this short-term (up to 90 days) community-based alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. Families with children in acute crisis can receive an array of traditional mental health (therapy, psychiatry, and crisis respite) and non-traditional, strengths-based, individualized and tailored or created services. The intended outcomes are to increase safety, stabilization, and community integration. Most families are transitioned to ongoing mental health services. 2. Intensive Services or Wraparound The Regional Support Networks authorize this element of care intended for families with children who have complex needs, emotional or behavioral challenges and are involved in multiple systems (child welfare, mental health, special education, probation, developmental disabilities, etc). Typically, families are referred whose needs exceed what could be addressed in less intensive traditional mental services. Wraparound is a planning process, not a program or service. Care Coordinators facilitate a child and family team that collaborates to individualize and tailor a plan of care based on the family’s needs. The strengths of the family and team are usually the most useful assets and are incorporated into the care plan. Length of services average 12 months. Intended outcomes are individualized but usually include increased safety, stabilization and community integration to ensure that children have a permanent family resource. 3. FAST, Family Assessment and Stabilization Team An array of intensive support services are provided to families with children at risk of being hospitalized due to mental health emergencies or being placed in foster care because of a family crisis. While working to preserve the family or to reunify a youth with a permanent family resource, it is imperative to involve friends, extended family and other natural resources. Since parents and relatives are recognized as the experts with regard to the children in their family, numerous efforts are made to locate and involve them in the development of a strengths-based care plan. Intended outcomes are increased safety, stabilization, and to ensure that children have a permanent family resource. The Division of Children and Family Services and the Pierce County RSN jointly fund FAST in Pierce County. DCFS Region 6 also funds FAST in Thurston, Mason, Cowlitz and Clark counties. 4. Behavioral Rehabilitation Services The Division of Children and Family Services authorizes intensive in-home family preservation or family reunification services for children/youth who are either currently in residential or foster care or they are at high risk of placement. Short-term licensed foster care resources are sometimes utilized while care coordinators make preparations and conduct family searches to reunify children with safe and permanent (extended) family resources. These services are usually authorized for six months and are available throughout Western Washington. 5. Intensive Family Preservation Services, IFPS The Division of Children and Family Services authorizes an array of intensive support services for families with children at imminent risk of out-of-home placement due to concerns of neglect or abuse. Although child and family teams can be utilized to design and implement strengths-based care plans, additional assistance such as educational, vocational, and parenting resources can be provided through DCFS. The intended outcome is to preserve the family and avoid unnecessary foster care placements by thoroughly addressing the identified risk factors and increasing safety and stabilization. DCFS authorizes IFPS for up to 90 days in Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston, Mason and Pacific counties. 6. Family Search and Engagement Training and Workshops Family Search & Engagement (FSE) is a set of practices designed to locate, engage, connect, and support family resources for youth. A major goal of this practice is to move youth from a place where they don’t hear “I love you” to a place where they can hear it and feel it everyday. This comes from family, relatives, and others who love them.  Frequently these youths are involved in the child welfare system, have experienced multiple placements with non-relatives and have lost contact with their extended family members This training/workshop is intended to support the implementation of these complex practices by providing both an identification of the issues and activities involved and a variety of practical tools to assist the practitioner in the day-to-day work. It is the product of a collaborative process among agencies, practitioners, family members, and youth who have experienced the practice. Family Preservation Staff who provide services Family Preservation staff demonstrate a high level of flexibility and accessibility in accommodating families by working evenings and weekends, and by responding to crises (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week). Families have direct access to their Care Coordinators (60% B.A. and 40% M.A.) either by pager or home phone number. Care Coordinators ensure that an individualized, strength-based plan that addresses their unmet needs is developed for each family. Whenever possible, a child and family team is created (consisting of professionals, natural supports and the family) who design and implement individualized care and safety/crisis plans. Family Support Specialists and Community Support Specialists are direct service staff that can assist the child and family team with implementation. Family Partners are other staff that serve as peer supports to parents. As parents of children who are former consumers of services, Family Partners have a way of extending a level of support and empathy that professionals sometimes cannot. Family Preservation also utilizes Licensed Foster Parents as formal resources to provide short-term planned or crisis respite. When the most normative forms of support such as extended family, friends, church, natural or community resources are not available to provide a break or respite, foster parents can be utilized. Family Preservation Service Philosophy and Values The Family Preservation Guiding Principles and Philosophies are based on Wraparound and Individualized and Tailored Care values and best practices. They provide the framework and guidelines by which we operate. Throughout Western Washington we get to serve children/youth and families with the most complex needs, severe histories, and who are involved with multiple child-serving systems. Primarily our funding comes through Pierce County and Clark County Regional Support Networks and the Division of Children and Family Services in Regions, 3, 5 and 6.