About Families First
Families First is a not-for-profit community based organization designed by parents. Families First serves any/all families in Essex County who perceive they have a child with emotional or behavioral problems. A framework is provided for a safe, nurturing, healthy environment for all family members. A staff member will work in partnership with parents to help children live in the most family-like environment possible.
Families First Services
Intensive Case Management (ICM) / Home & Community Based Waiver Program:
A staff member works with children, and their families, who have a psychiatric diagnosis and are at risk of being removed from their homes. The goal is to keep youth in their "natural" environments. Support, advocacy, brokering and coordination of services are offered to enable the children to remain in their homes and communities. Crisis services are available and families are also trained to cope with and prevent crises. There are flexible service dollars available to help meet families' needs. Staff are available to go into families' homes to help them with a variety of needs.
Family Support Coordinators / Family Advocates
Families First's parent staff members are available to provide advocacy and support to families. Whenever possible, ongoing support is offered to those families who are multi-stressed and request regular home visits and support. Priority for this service is given to families who face the possible removal of their children from their homes, and who wish to keep their children at home. Whenever possible, Family Advocates will accompany a family to court, school or other meetings as requested by the family. In addition, we encourage and work with families to help them enhance their natural support systems.
School and Community Based Wraparound Program
A Wraparound philosophy is used in order to design a strengths based, family centered, needs driven system of care. The Staff coordinate and help design a seamless, flexible wraparound plan to identified children within participating school systems. Services are designed to be family, school and community based with the goal of preventing out of home or out of community placement. The Wraparound philosophy reflects a belief that children are best served in the least restrictive setting possible, and that success will be based upon a support system that is continually innovative and responsive to the particular needs and strengths of individual children and their families.
Families First Services:
- Parent to Parent Support
- Home Visits
- Information and Referral
- Resource Library
- Support and Advocacy Groups
- An 800 Number For Support and Information
- Youth Activities
- Social and Recreational Activities for Children and Families
- A Small Food Shelf
- Training/Interagency Collaboration
- Respite/Respitality Programs
- Flexible Funds for Concrete Items
- Newsletter
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