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La Familia 2002 Annual Report
Text Box: Research The agency continues to evaluate each program, along with evaluation of specific research projects. In the treatment foster care program, we assess the functioning level of each child at admission and discharge. We examine client satisfaction on every La Familia client. Each grant we take on has a research component. This year, we completed evaluation on the agency’s independent living skills program, and we began the evaluation of our national adoption demonstration project. Development The Board has approved the hiring of a Director of Development Text Box: Program Planning Under program planning, we continued to bring on a group home for deaf adolescent boys. We continue to work with state licensing to make sure that this project complies with all applicable standards. We may have the first children placed in the home by the end of summer, 2003. Along with the new administration at the state level, we have served as the catalyst for the behavioral health providers, consumers, and advocates to design a comprehensive Medicaid behavioral health system of care. Finally, we completed a strategic planning process last fall, producing a new mission and values statement, and organizing long term and annual strategic plans for each of the agency’s divisions. Text Box: whom we expect to have on staff by the summer of 2003. This employee will manage marketing, an annual appeal, a major gifts campaign, and special events. Our grant awards this year include $200,000 from CYFD to conduct adoptions for special needs children; an award of $200,000 from Spaulding for Children to train public health workers about adoption awareness; a United Way award to the agency’s Adult Services Division to train guardians and conservators; a continuation award of $250,000 from the federal Children’s Bureau to develop training materials about transracial adoptions; and a joint award with Advocacy, Inc. to case manage a guardianship program. Ken Kenny, Ph.D., MSW VP: Program Planning, Research & Development Text Box: Program Planning, Research & Development Text Box: Over a year ago, La Familia, Inc. introduced Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy as an experiential therapy for children in Treatment Foster Care. Initially, Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy was designed to teach empathy skills to children who were not responding to conventional “in the office” therapy. However, as the program grew and more children were referred, it became evident that Equine therapy provided a positive therapeutic environment for Attachment Disordered children as well. Over the past year and a half, the Equine program has assisted children in La Familia’s Treatment Foster Care Program as they learn empathy skills and how to form healthy attachments. The program continues to use a horse, a therapist, and various activities with the child to achieve therapeutic goals. The interactions between the horse and child are used as a point of therapeutic discussion about empathy, healthy bonds and attachments, and positive relationships. Horses have proven to be excellent therapy partners for children as they are non-judgmental and they are Text Box: honest. They will consistently reflect the mood of the child, providing a wonderful mirror. Their body language (how they communicate 99% of what they feel) can help reveal what a child is feeling and begin to break down barriers. Over the past year and a half, the Equine therapy program has grown to the point that there is a waiting list, and psychiatric hospitals are requesting Equine therapy for clients upon discharge to Treatment Foster Care. Even more exciting and promising for the future of Equine therapy... managed care has begun paying for many of our clients. La Familia belongs to the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), the COA recognized leader in this growing treatment modality. Claire Barr, LPC and Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Certified therapist, continues to provide this therapy for children in our Treatment Foster Care program. The goal of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy over the next year is two-fold: To look for additional funding through grant opportunities and to Text Box: attend additional training provided by EAGALA in order to stay current on Equine therapy practices. Claire Barr, LPC. EAPCT Placement Coordinator Text Box: Equine-Therapy