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Organization: Exchange Club CASTLE Program Name : Safe Families Funder: Children's Services Advisory Committee RFP# 2006061 C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (Entire Section C, I — 6, not to exceed two pages) 1 . List Priority Needs area addressed. Focus Area II : Parental Support and Education. Promoting programs that focus on individual parenting programs; encouraging agencies to provide age appropriate parenting support. 2. Briefly describe program activities including location of services. 1 . Upon receiving a referral, a counselor visits the family, and assesses the need for home-based parent education (Safe Families). This is accomplished through interview, observation, and completion of an initial needs assessment. To avoid duplication or overlap with other service providers, a review is done of all services being offered to the family. When necessary, and with consent, other service providers are contacted in order to coordinate services to the family. If eligible for Safe Families, the family will begin a program of regular visits, and a family plan, including specific goals, will be developed. The family is an active participant in this process, collaborating on the initial plan for services. 2 . Once a family plan is developed, the counselor makes weekly visits to address the family plan goals . Weekly visits take place for up to one year, with the visits taking place in the family' s home, thus increasing the counselor ' s ability to assess the safety of the children, and evaluate improvements made by the family. Parents remain active participants during the weekly visits, teaming with their counselor to initiate improved parenting techniques. 3 . During the weekly visits, counselors use a multifaceted approach to teaching, including utilizing parenting videos, working through parenting programs , creating behavior management plans, and establishing family meetings, or other formalized methods to improve family communication. Positive discipline and family stability are two over-arching goals. 4 . All weekly visits are geared toward reducing risk factors (characteristics that increase the likelihood that abuse will occur) , and increasing protective factors (characteristics that decrease the likelihood that abuse will occur). Safe Families has identified the following risk and protective factors that form the basis of each counselor' s work with a family: Risk Factors: Additional parenting knowledgelskills needed, Parents history of abuse as a child; Parents history ofsubstance abuse; Parents history ofinental health issues; Domestic violence — past/present (victim/perpetrator); Inability to meet basic needs; Teen, young or non-traditional parent; Lack ofsupport system; Parents/children with physical handicaps or other diagnosable conditions. Protective Factors: Housing stability; Delay ofsubsequent pregnancy; Enrollment in childcare; Enrollment in healthcare; Child receives routine medical care; Livable wage employment; Active participation in child 's school, Positive family communication; Constructive use of time; Supportive adults outside offamily. 5 . Frequent supervisory review and a regular peer review ensure that each family is continually evaluated for the frequency and intensity of services needed. 6. Follow-up occurs for three months after closure of the case . Monthly visits are paid to the family to ensure the continued use of techniques learned. In addition, the Department of Children and Families tracks families for one year after completion of services to determine if re- abuse has occurred. Follow-up may also include parent education groups. 7. Parent Education Groups — Positive Parenting will augment the Safe Families home based intervention. Positive Parenting will consist of 12- 18 hours of parenting education classes. Enrollment in the class will be available to 1 ) those on a waiting list for Safe Families; 2) parents who do not need the intensity of in-home services ; and 3) parent who have completed Safe Families, but continue to need follow-up services. These classes allow parents time to separate from the support of an in-home counselor, reduce isolation, and solidify their newly learned techniques. Parenting groups will be held at the CASTLE office in Indian River County, during day, evening or weekend hours, on a rotating basis. 6