Family Services
In several different programs, professionals with specialized training work with families in their homes. They help to avoid the separation of children from the family, to successfully transition children in out-of-home care back home and to help individuals of all ages with mental illness avoid hospitalization or achieve stability back in the community.
Intensive In-Home Services
Gillis IIS provides immediate, intensive, short-term, in-home crisis intervention and family education services to families whose children are at immediate risk of out-of-home placement. Duration of the intervention is from four to six weeks during which time the program provides an in-home specialist who is available to the family 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Read More
Intensive In-home Services (IIS) offer families in crisis the alternative to remain safely together, averting the unnecessary out-of-home placement of children. IIS is based upon the belief that families can, through intervention, learn to nurture their children, improve their functioning, gain support within their communities, enabling them to remain safely together. Families that have a child or children at imminent risk of removal from the home due to neglect, abuse, family violence, mental illness, emotional disturbance, juvenile status offense, or juvenile delinquency may be candidates for IIS.
Services are provided in the family’s home or other natural setting.
Families are assigned one (1) principal specialist who is responsible
for spending an average of eight (8) to ten (10) hours per week (more if
needed) over the course of the intervention, in direct contact with the
family. IIS combines skill-based intervention with maximum flexibility
so that services are available to families according to their unique
needs. Trained specialists teach families problem-solving and other life
skills. In addition, the IIS specialist provides information to families
regarding available helping resources. In all, IIS focuses on assisting
in crisis management and restoring the family to an acceptable level of
functioning.
2008 Statistics
- 128 Jackson County families received Intensive In-Home Services.
- 85% of these families were intact at closing.
- 54 families received IIS Services from the North Kansas City office to prevent out of home placement of a family member.
- 91% of IIS Jackson County families filling out family evaluations reported they were satisfied with the services provided.
- 100% of those served were satisfied with the services provided
Family Reunification Services
Gillis Family Reunion Services (FRS) provides intensive, short-term, in-home crisis intervention and family education services to reunite families, where the child(ren) would remain in care for 6-months or more, without such intensive services. Read More
Services are provided in the family’s home or other natural setting.
Families are assigned one (1) principal specialist who is responsible
for spending an average of eight (7) to ten (10) hours per week (more if
needed) over the course of the intervention, in direct contact with the
family. FRS combines skill-based intervention with maximum flexibility
so that services are available to families according to their unique
needs. Trained specialists teach families problem-solving and other life
skills. In addition, the FRS specialist provides information to families
regarding available helping resources.
The overriding goal of Family Reunion is the protection of children
through the enhancement of family capabilities. Safety of all family
members is a concern, however, safety of the child is the primary
consideration. Additional goals are to assist families in
removing the barriers preventing the return of their child(ren), assist
in the transition of returning the child(ren) to the family, and develop
with the family a plan designed to maintain the child(ren) safely in the
home.
Family Reunion Services is based upon the belief that families can,
through intensive intervention, learn to nurture their children, improve
their functioning, and gain support within their community to enable the
family to reunify and remain safely together. Safety of all family
members is the concern of Family Reunion; however, safety of the child
shall be the primary.
2008 Statistics
- 42 Jackson County families received assistance in transitioning a family member back into the home.
- 83% of the families were reunified with their families
- 100% of the families did not have a childe abuse/neglect hotline during intervention
- 100% of FRS families filing out the family evaluation said they were highly satisfied with the program and their specialist.
Family Focus Program
Gillis believes that a safe and permanent home and family should be the goal for all children within our programs. The Family Focus Program was developed on this premise and all Gillis staff embraces and practices these ideals as we work to return children to safe and permanent homes. Read More
The Family Focus Program is a family and community-based service
utilizing a combination of residential treatment with intensive
home-based services. The primary focus of all services will be safety
for the child, the family and the community along with establishing a
permanent home for the child.
The program intervention is designed to be completed in nine months or
less. It may include a short stay in residential treatment, until safety
for everyone in the home can be assured. Intensive home-based services
are provided to the family during the child’s stay in residential care.
They continue when he goes home to ensure a smooth transition and
successful and permanent family reunification.
Services provided are based on the needs of the child and/or family, as
identified through Family Support team meeting and planning reviews,
where the family and referring agency and/or legal custodian are
present.
Parents and Children Together (PACT Program)
Pact is an innovative and evidence-based program that offers in-home,
crisis oriented services to children, families and individuals
struggling with mental illness. PACT services are designed to preserve
the child’s and family’s integrity and prevent costly and frightening
hospitalization and out of home placement. Services include evaluation
and assessment, crisis intervention and stabilization, counseling,
cognitive behavioral therapy, skills training and follow-up planning.
The goal of PACT is to help families develop the skills and supports
necessary to help them manage on their one.
2008 Statistics
- 137 families participate in the Personal Transition Services, a one hour follow-up session with clients released from the hospital, ensuring the hospital stay was helpful and needed services were received, while establishing an aftercare plan for insurance purposes
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC), an alternative to group care, that provides intensive and comprehensive individualized treatment, support, and supervision in a family setting to youth with behavioral or emotional problems. The MTFC program uses a team approach to treatment - a program supervisor, youth therapist, family therapist, skills coach, and a foster care trainer. Foster parents in the MTFC program implement an individualized, structured program for each youth under the guidance of a program supervisor. While the youth is in the program the family therapist works with the youth’s family to help them prepare for their youth‘s return home. For every youth in the program the aim is to increase pro-social behaviors and decrease problem behaviors, teach the youth new skills for forming relationships with positive peers and adults and for succeeding at school/work, and enhance parenting skills and decrease conflict in the family
Program Characteristics
Some features of the MTFC program that set it apart from most other foster care programs.
- MTFC places one youth with a family at a time.
- MTFC uses a team approach to treatment, with the foster parents as part of the team along with program staff.
- Foster parents in the MTFC program implement an individualized, structured program for each youth under the guidance of a program supervisor.
- Foster parents receive an enhanced level of support from program staff. Crisis intervention is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Foster parents meet regularly with other foster parents and the program supervisor to support and learn from each other.
This is accomplished through the following objectives:
- Provide youth with close supervision.
- Provide youth with fair and consistent limits and consequences.
- Provide a supportive relationship with at least one mentoring adult.
- Minimize association with peers who may be a bad influence.
- Increase youth’s relationships and work skills
For every youth in the program the aim is to:
- Increase pro-social behaviors and decrease problem behaviors
- Provide close supervision and limit access to peers who lack effective social skills
- Specify and follow through on clear, consistent rules, limits, and consequences for rule violations
- Teach the youth new skills for forming relationships with positive peers and adults and for succeeding at school/work
- Enhance parenting skills and decrease conflict in the family
Stories
"In helping Rachel resolve some of her problems through mentoring and training, it is hoped that the long-term family history of poverty will be broken."
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Gillis is part of Cornerstones of Care, a partnership of agencies providing therapeutic treatment services for children and families.
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