Pre-Career Training Services FAS--Virginia Community-Based Continuum of Services The Florence Bertell Academies Wraparound Support Services
	PRE-CAREER TRAINING SERVICES The FAS Pre-Career Training Services Center is committed to maximizing each student's ability to succeed, not just in the work world, but in life, too. That's why its services are fully integrated into all FAS programs. Five phases of training and experience are offered by the Center. Each is adapted to the trainee's level, and movement from one phase to the next is dependent on competency. Financial compensation increases with each phase, providing additional incentive for achievement. Phase One focuses on assessing skills and exploring vocational options. During Phase Two, trainees learn job-seeking and interview skills. Phase Three engages participants in individual projects, group projects and/or on-the-job training at selected worksites. During Phase Four, individuals receive pre-apprenticeship training. The program culminates in Phase Five, which offers competitive employment. The program offers students many benefits, among them the chance to explore interests, aptitudes and the elements vital to on-the-job success. Additionally, opportunities abound for students to increase their competence, heighten their independence and enhance their sense of responsibility. In the process, the FAS Pre-Career Training Services Center is laying a foundation for a future workforce filled with highly qualified, motivated and productive individuals. FAS-VIRGINIA Family Advocacy Services of Virginia (FAS-VA) provides a highly individualized continuum of services that help male and female children with severe emotional handicaps weather life's myriad challenges. Intensive Level of Care (ILC) matches children who have been removed from their natural family's home with a FAS-VA approved foster family. In addition to providing a stable, caring, and structured family environment, this program gives children a chance to be successful in a normalized, community-based setting. ILC participants attend an after-school Group Life/Day Support Program that offers therapeutic, recreational, social, vocational and cultural activities designed to develop social skills and strong values. They also attend individual, group and family therapy sessions to explore the issues that brought them to the program. Concurrently, wraparound support services are provided to help the natural family achieve stability. Children who have successfully completed 60 consecutive days of ILC or who need a less intensive level of treatment at the time of entry into the program are eligible for Moderate Level of Care. Children in this program continue to live in a therapeutic foster home and receive clinical services and wraparound support. When conditions are right for the child to return home, Home-Based Transition Programs provide in-home clinical family services to help make the reunion a successful one. Depending on their needs, children may or may not participate in a Group Life/Day Support program, but families continue to receive in-home clinical services. Home-Based Programs are also available as a point of entry into treatment. In this scenario, staff help the family develop and implement a treatment plan to enable the child and family to function normally and avoid an out-of-home placement. When youths reach the age of 16-1/2, Independent Living Skills Training is provided in the treatment plan. This program helps participants gain the skills they need to find and keep a job, live on their own in the community, enhance their functional education abilities and avoid behaviors that have caused difficulties in the past. Additional specialized services are offered to teens who are parents or pregnant. FAMILY ADVOCACY SERVICES OF MARYLAND COMMUNITY-BASED CONTINUUM OF SERVICES In keeping with agency's commitment to providing services that promote normalization, the community-based treatment continuum offers the following alternatives to residential and institutional care: Transitional Group Home Care: Intensively supervised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the FAS transitional group home program provides diagnostic evaluation and transitional treatment for male adolescents, ages 12-17, who have been unsuccessful in less supervised community-based options. The program also provides diagnostic evaluation, treatment and crisis intervention services for teens currently in FAS Treatment Foster Care, STEP and Home-Based Treatment programs. Treatment Foster Care: Foster parents trained and approved by FAS provide nurturing and supervision in a therapeutic family setting to children unable to live with their natural families. Each foster care family is actively involved in the treatment process and receives continuous support services. Two levels of care are offered. Individuals receiving Intensive Level Services are eligible for Group Life/Day Support services (described below) and Wraparound Support Services; those receiving Moderate Level Services have access to Wraparound Support Services. Group Life/Day Support: Therapeutic educational, recreational, social, vocational and cultural activities designed to help students develop interpersonal skills and strong values. Individual and group activities are offered, and adolescent peer group sessions are held weekly. A five-level incentive program rewards children for acting responsibly and provides a comfortable setting in which new behaviors can be tested without risk of embarrassment or other consequences. Children who are not in public school can also participate in a transitional education program and GED preparation through the Phoenix Resource School, approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Specialized Treatment and Education Program (STEP): An intensive treatment program serving male adolescents, ages 13-17, who have committed sex offenses. Each youth attends five group sessions each week. The focus of these groupsand all treatmentis on developing a personalized protection/impulse control plan. Offenders learn about the cycle of abuse and methods to consciously monitor the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that lead to abuse. They also receive victim awareness/empathy training, sex education, victim trauma education and assistance in developing social skills. Independent Living Program: A two-phase program that prepares youths ages 17-20 to live on their own in the community, find and keep a job, enhance their educational skills and overcome behavioral problems that could hinder future success. During Phase I, a client lives in the home of independent living sponsors who provide support and supervision as the youth helps run the household. Concurrently, the client receives educational and vocational experiences through the FAS Career Services Training Program. During Phase II, clients live in a supervised apartment. To be eligible, they must be competitively employed, participate in or complete an educational program, keep an orderly living space, attend all required meetings, be drug-free, behave properly, be able to access transportation independently and have a minimum savings account balance of $500.00. FAS provides a $500.00 grant to purchase furniture plus a monthly stipend to cover rent and other utilities. When the treatment team determines that a client is ready for discharge, FAS provides a launching grant that matches the client's savings up to $2,000.00. Home-Based Treatment: A treatment and support program designed to prevent out-of-home placements and help children in FAS treatment programs reunite with their natural families. All family members are involved in the treatment process. Parents are empowered to take responsibility for the child by enhancing their ability to set limits, nurture, communicate, be empathetic, provide supervision and be consistent. Intensive and moderate levels of services are offered. Children and families in the intensive level program receive general clinical services, adjunctive clinical services and Group Life/Day Support services. Those in the moderate level program have access to general clinical and adjunctive clinical services. Note: Each youth receiving Community-Based Services is assigned to a treatment team responsible for determining the level of care required. The team consists of a clinical therapist and casework associate (or, in the Independent Living Program, a case manager), the referring agency caseworker, the child, other FAS program staff and the foster and/or natural parent(s). A psychiatrist provides clinical guidance and medication reviews. Other allied professionals contributing to treatment are invited to participate as well. THE FLORENCE BERTELL ACADEMIES Male students whose serious emotional and behavioral handicaps make it impossible for them to remain in public schools can turn their lives around at the Florence Bertell Academies. Both schools' fully-integrated academic, vocational, clinical and behavior management services help those youngster develop the coping, adjustment and academic skills they need to succeed in the public education system. Located in Baltimore County and Prince George's County, the academies operate 12 months a year and are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education as Intensity-V Non-Public Special Education Schools. An Individualized Education Plan is developed annually for each student, with input from parents, the student, the local educational agency and the treatment team. A multi-disciplinary treatment team monitors student progress. The Academic Program offers courses in English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Life Skills and Expressive Arts. Each classroom has networked computer terminals with which students and teachers access educational software linked to the Academy's curriculum. Each class has a teacher and a teacher assistant; class size is limited to maximize individual attention. The Clinical Program matches each child with a clinical therapist who provides individual, group and family therapy. Consulting psychiatrists and psychologists are available for evaluations, medication reviews, consultations and psychological testing. The Career Technology Training Center in Baltimore provides individualized instruction in computer science, automotive mechanics, carpentry, masonry, small engine/appliance repair and printing. Automotive mechanics, carpentry, masonry and computer science are offered in the Prince George's County program. Hands-on training, work/study components and school-to-work options are tailored to fit special needs. The Behavioral Management Program provides crisis intervention and behavioral counseling services. Every student has a behavioral counselor present in all classes and groups. He or she participates in all educational and treatment planning. When necessary, therapeutic disciplinary interventions are utilized to address behaviors that interfere with the students' success and functioning. In addition, each student carries a Positive Reinforcement Report that monitors daily performance and award points for behavioral and academic progress. As students accumulate points for behavioral and academic skills, they move to higher levels and receive additional responsibilities and privileges. Students deemed ready to return to public school participate in a Transitional Program to fine-tune their newly acquired academic and social skills. WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES The road to helping troubled adolescents and their families enhance their lives is not always smooth. But Family Advocacy Services is available every step of the way, providing a comprehensive array of wraparound support services such as: Crisis intervention (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) Case management Short-term crisis respite care Parenting skills development Development of Individual Treatment Plans Tutoring/G.E.D. preparation Transportation assistance Substance abuse evaluations and drug education/treatment Psychological and psychiatric evaluations and/or special testing Medication management Individual, group, family and multi-family psychotherapy Training and consultations