Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. Family-based services emphasize the importance of maintaining children in their own homes and mobilizing resources which empower families to achieve this end. Family-based programs share a belief that prevention and rehabilitation will be most successful when the family unit is the client and when interventions address the connections among family members and between the family and its larger environment.; B. In the past, placement of a child out of his/her home setting is one of the treatment alternatives upon which the Juvenile Court has relied in dealing with adolescent offenders. The effectiveness of treatment, however, is frequently compromised by a family’s inability or unwillingness to be involved in the juvenile’s therapeutic progress while out of the home.; C. Rehabilitation efforts with adolescent offenders are arguably more effective if intervention services can be provided to families in support of maintaining the juvenile at home or to enhance family functioning while the family prepares for the juvenile’s return home. The design for this program should enhance family functioning (i.e., communication, problem resolution, access to wraparound resources for basic needs, and skill development).; D. Family Preservation services are envisioned to last at least four (4) to six (6) months and as being intensive, focusing on goal-oriented treatment plans that families aid in creating. Family functioning which is identified as significantly contributing to the offending behavior would be prioritized for intervention. A primary goal of this program is to teach skills and link families to services that will endure beyond program intervention.; E. At a minimum, program services should include the following: 1. Clinical assessment by a master level clinician, e.g. MSW, or LPC.; 2. In-home, goal-directed family therapy.; 3. Parenting education and parenting skills training (may be conducted inhome as appropriate).; 4. Support and educational groups.; 5. Household/living skills development (in-home). ; F. TCJS operates with an expectation that vendors will embrace the attitudes, knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent and responsive services. As TCJS moves toward increasing the cultural and linguistic competence of its staff and the services they provide, it is further expected that contractors and partner agencies foster successful cross-cultural relationships and will provide the most inclusive environment possible for families and youth referred to them for services.; 1. It is expected that intake services will commence within three (3) business days from time of referral for each juvenile and family referred. There will also be circumstances requiring immediate commencement (within the hour) of program services due to Court orders, detention situations, or crisis situations.; G. It is expected that participation in this program will last an average of three (3) to six (6) months, enabling the provision of services to approximately 75 - 100 families per year, serving at least 20-25 youth and families at any one time. On an ongoing basis, it is expected that families will be seen in the home as a family unit at minimum once or twice weekly for approximately one-two hours each visit, with 24-hour accessibility to a counselor for crisis intervention and emergencies.; H. Juvenile Services should be notified in writing by way of monthly progress report of referrals made to community resources or sub-contractors of specialized treatment programs and services. It is expected that referrals for out of home placement would be inappropriate in the context of family preservation services. However, favorable consideration will be given to those proposals including availability of shelter/respite care. Juvenile Services should be notified in writing within (24) hours if out of home placement is facilitated.
