MHACG | Children's Case Management

Children's Case Management

Support for Children & Families

We help strengthen families & support child development

Our family support workers help provide support for children identified as having behavioral, social, emotional, or educational needs.

Within our Strengthening Families program, we help support the parents and children in developing parenting skills, family skills training, and children's life skills.

We help families reach their goals.

About Case Management

Help for emotional, social, or behavioral issues

Our family support workers provide services for youth at high risk of out-of-home placement who will benefit from service coordination.

We provide support, links to services, advocacy, direct care, socialization, & more.

Reasons for referral

There are many reasons you/your child may be referred to our program. Each family has unique needs, our support workers will help figure out what's best for you.

A few reasons we may be needed:

Student in grades K-12 in need of mental health support.

Identified as having behavioral, social, emotional, or education needs

Referred by a member of your child's school, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal, nurse, etc.

Youth who is at risk of becoming, alleged to be, or adjudicated as Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS)

Youth alleged, or convicted, as Juvenile Offenders, Juvenile Delinquents, Adolescent Offenders, or adjudicated as Youthful Offenders.

The service our Family Support Workers provide

How we help children & families

Home Visits

Our Family Support Worker will work with the family to do home visits as often as needed to help them succeed, with a minimum of twice a month.

Goal Setting

Have a goal in mind? We can help figure out your goals and ways to work toward achieving them. Whether the goal is helping your child increase socialization, improve academics, or help with behavioral concerns, we can help figure out a game plan.

Service Connection & Support

Not sure what help is available or where to start? We can help with referrals and support to other services. Maybe one of our other programs can help, or a link up with social services, or counseling is needed. Maybe it's help with SNAP or HEAP. We're here to help.

Socialization Skill Building

We introduce fun, pro-social skill building activities into a child's life in one-on-one interactions or with other children. Activities are goal focused and can be anything from walks out in the community, to arts & crafts, games, group activities, going to the library, or even learning how to cook.

Advocacy

We help advocate for the family and child for the school district or for development of an IEP (Individualized Education Program). We can assist with working with the Department of Social Services to help advocate for the welfare of the child.

Family Education

Raising a child can be challenging. We can help support family needs by providing tools for parents/guardians on ways to better care for their child, improve family communication, and ways to manage a child with emotional or behavioral issues.

Strengthening Families

Improving parenting skills & child emotional wellbeing

Strengthening Families Program is an evidence-based prevention program for parents and children to participate in parenting skills, life skills, training and family functioning.

A little bit about the courses

Teaching families for better wellbeing

Courses are taught in a 7 or 14 week period consisting of a family meal followed by 2-hour group sessions. The groups are divided by the child's age:

Birth - 3
3 - 5
6 - 11
10 - 14 and
12 - 16

Sessions begin with a family meal that includes informal family practice time and coaching. Following dinner, parents and children have a 1 hour breakout class and end with a 1 hour family class.

Benefits of the Course

Parents make all the difference

As children age, it is important to build trust with them and keep the lines of communication open so that if at any point they begin to feel increased pressure to experiment with smoking, drinking, or using drugs, they can feel comfortable talking to you about it.

Every day activities, such as having family dinners together, helping your children with their homework, or attending their school activities can have a lasting effect on your children.

Research has shown that children with active, hands-on parents, are less likely to engage in negative behaviors.

Outcomes for Parents:

The Strengthening Families Program uses proven training and evaluation tools that are effective in reducing multiple risk factors for later alcohol and drug abuse, mental health problems, and delinquency. Participants have reported:

Increased family bonding
Increased parental involvement
Increased positive parenting skills
Increased positive communication
Decreased family conflict
Setting constructive limitations
Effective ways to improve child's behavior
Better understanding of the negative impact of substance abuse on family relationships

Outcomes for Children:

Strong families avoid many adverse outcomes as the child develops, such as substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, aggression, and delinquency. Children participating in the program have seen: