Family Support and

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• Family Support and
• Early Childhood

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Family Ties History

• Nearly 20 years ago, Pat Sparkman, a psychiatric
  nurse, started the first parent support group for
  parents of children with social, emotional, and
  behavioral challenges.
• The Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH)
  supported Pat Sparkmans initiative and agreed
  that parents needed to have influence over policy
  formulation and programs as well as over their
  own childrens service and treatment plans.
• DCMH worked with Michael Friedman, Director of
  the Mental Health Association of Westchester, for
  the group to become an affiliate of the Mental
  Health Association.
• Family Ties expanded from one single support
  group into a regionally based organization
  serving parents of children with
  emotional/behavioral challenges all over
  Westchester.
• In 2002, Family Ties of Westchester established
  itself as an independent not-for-profit
  organization.
• In 2006, Family Ties has six resources centers
  throughout Westchester, with a total of 30
  employees.

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Who We Are

• Family Ties of Westchester is a grassroots
  organization that provides advocacy and support
  services to families of children with emotional
  and behavioral difficulties. At its six Resource
  Centers in Mount Kisco, Mount Vernon, New
  Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill and Yonkers, Family
  Ties offers support groups, training in parenting
  skills, advocacy efforts, case management and
  respite opportunities. Family Ties recognizes
  parents as full partners in planning for their
  childrens treatment and services and helps
  empower them to take part in the decision-making
  process.

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What We Do

• Family Ties provides
• Wide variety of support groups for Parents,
  Grandparents, Siblings, Foster parents, and Dads
  only.
• Specialized groups to the Parents of very young
  children, and services to parents with their own
  psychiatric disabilities.
• Respite/recreational opportunities retreats,
  picnic, trips
• Parent skills training, educational workshops,
  and leadership and spokesperson training.
• Strives to keep children in the community, at
  home with their families
• Advocacy services
• Case management
• One-to-one work with families and telephone
  support
• All services are free and confidential

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Programs

• 4-Our-Children
• Program in collaboration with Open Door Medical
  Centers that provides screening, assessment,
  treatment, and family support for children seen
  in primary care at the Ossining Open Door medical
  facility.
• Every Kid Counts
• Program provides support and advocacy for
  families who have been involved with Child
  Protective Services. By building on the
  strengths of the family, Every Kid Counts strives
  to keep children safe in successfully functioning
  families. This program is currently available in
  the Mount Vernon and Peekskill communities.
• Foster Parent TECS (Training, Education,
  Certification, Support)
• The TECS program offers training, education,
  certification, and support for prospective foster
  parents in Westchester County. TECS helps to
  ensure the success of some of our highest risk
  children and supports the families who will care
  for them.

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Programs (contd)

• Family Unity
• This program provides a facilitated family
  decision-making model in New Rochelle for
  Spanish-speaking families with very young
  children who have been known to Child Welfare.
  Family Unity operates in collaboration with the
  New Rochelle Guidance Center.
• Safe Schools/Healthy Children
• As part of a federally funded, community-wide
  collaborative, family support and advocacy
  services are provided to families of all middle
  and high school students in the City of Mount
  Vernon.
• Non-Secure Detention Advocacy
• Support, advocacy, and assistance in linking
  families and youth to community-based services
  that will help youngsters in non-secure detention
  avoid residential placement and remain in the
  community.
• Grandparents ROCK (Raising Our Childrens Kids)
• This program provides activities, respite, and
  recreational programs to grandparents who are the
  primary caretakers for their grandchildren.

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Programs (contd)

• Linkages
• The Linkages program operates in collaboration
  with Westchester Jewish Community Services and
  the Westchester County Department of Probation.
  Support and advocacy is provided to help families
  with youngsters who are known to family court as
  a result of juvenile delinquency charges.
• Early Step Forward
• A program for parents of very young children,
  offering case management and family support
  services using two evidence-based models.
• Every Family Counts
• A new program will be starting where Family Ties
  will provide aftercare services to families of
  Foster Care children who are returning to their
  families and the community.

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3-Tiered Approach

• Tier III State Level Cross System Planning
• Tier II County Level Coordinating Committee
• Tier I Local Networks/Child and Family Service
  Teams
• Unique role of family support.

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Early ChildhoodHow Did We Get There?

• Parents of very young children were walking
  through the door wanting services.
• Surprise! Parents of school-aged children also
  have very young children.
• Community requests

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An Easy Road?

• Initially in Westchester, one whole year was
  spent attempting to plan a conference between
  Childrens Mental Health and Early Childhood.
• By the end of the year, NO CONFERENCE.
• Differences in language, perspective, and
  priorities.
• By the end of the year, however, a commitment to
  working together at the planning level.

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Work That Needed to be Done

• Collectively articulating a shared vision.
• Winning interagency and stake holder consensus
• Creating partnerships
• Achieving community ownership of the change
  process

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What Was Achieved

• County level on-going cross system planning
  committee on Early Childhood
• Resulted in local 500,000 grant in county budget
  for Early Childhood
• Community cross system planning groups around
  local early childhood issues
• Early childhood networks with community based
  wraparound plans for families of very young
  children
• Mental Health/Early Childhood case management and
  family support program put in place in four day
  care centers in Westchester
• Positive youth development programming money put
  in place for early childhood activities

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Making Sustainability Work

• Continue to make and nurture partnerships
• Build stakeholder consensus on an ongoing basis
• Continue to collectively articulate a shared
  vision
• Continue to learn about funding streams and
  strategies

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Contact Information

• Carol Hardesty, MSW, MPA
• Executive Director
• Family Ties of Westchester, Inc.
• [phone]
• chh2_at_westchestergov.com
• www.familytieswestchester.org
• www.westchestercommunitynetwork.org