Family Preservation is a DCFS/Probation referral –based program, designed to help high to very high risk families that are struggling with issues related to child abuse and neglect, including domestic violence, mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. The program provides comprehensive, family- focused, community based interventions and supportive services to maximize the family’s potential to meet the physical, emotional, educational and social needs of their children. The families are referred by Department of Children and Family Services or the Dept. of Probation and the following services are provided for a period of 6-12 months:
- In Home Outreach Counseling
- Parenting classes
- Teaching and demonstrating Homemaking skills
- Substitute Adult Role Modeling
- Emergency housing
- Child focused activities
In addition, Family Preservation makes linkages to mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and domestic violence classes.
El Centro del Pueblo has been providing Family Preservation Services since 1992 in the Metro North service area as one of the original family preservation programs, however, expanded to provide the services to the South Los Angeles community in 2005.
Up Front Assessments are an additional service that is under the Family Preservation program. The Up Front Assessment is designed to provide immediate, comprehensive assessments of caregivers identified by the Department of Children and Family Services. The assessment identifies the family’s strength and needs, and may capture valuable information that social workers can utilize with families in making treatment decisions and planning.
Alternative Response Services (ARS) is a DCFS referral –based program, designed to help medium risk families that are struggling with issues related to child abuse and neglect, including domestic violence, mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. The program provides comprehensive, family- focused, community based interventions and supportive services to maximize the family’s potential to meet the physical, emotional, educational and social needs of their children. The families are referred by Department of Children and Family Services or the Dept. of Probation and the following services are provided for a period of 6-12 months:
- In Home Outreach Counseling
- Parenting classes
- Teaching and demonstrating Homemaking skills
- Substitute Adult Role Modeling
- Emergency housing
- Child focused activities
The Partnership for Families (PFF) program collaboratively unites five (5) community agencies under lead agency Para Los Niños, to provide services to families with children ages 0-5, or expectant mothers. PFF helps families build on their strengths in order to address the challenges of substance abuse, domestic violence or mental issues, emphasizing education, resources and support for the parents of children 0-5. Services include:
- in-home counseling
- limited emergency concrete services
- case management
- parenting classes
- financial literacy
- prenatal counseling.
Prevention and Aftercare Services (PAS) are services, activities and supports to address the needs of the community to prevent family’s involvement and/or re-involvement with DCFS. The program is offered at El Centro Del Pueblo as part of a collaboration of six Metro North community agencies under the lead, Children’s Institute Inc.. PAS works to reduce social isolation, increase family economic stability and create integrated community-based prevention services in response to the community’s expressed needs. Walk in referrals are welcome and DCFS referrals are also accepted. PAS provides the following services:
- Case management
- Referrals for supportive services
- Parent and adolescent leadership groups
- Community family nights
- Financial literacy
- VITA tax preparation
Wraparound Approach Services is an intensive DCFS/DMH program that provides family-centered, strengths-based, needs driven panning and service delivery. The services are designed for families of children and youth who are either at high risk of out of home placement, experiencing serious mental health or other special needs, or are in out of home placement. The program teams the family/foster family with mental health and child welfare professionals as well as informal supports to “wraparound” the family with the purpose of ensuring safety, permanency and well-being. Teams of facilitators, child and family specialists, parent partners and therapists provide 24/7 support very high risk, mentally ill youth and their families and informal supports in their lives.
