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Purpose
The purpose of El Pueblo’s Community to Community Program
is to improve the lives of consumers who have complex needs:
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To successfully re-integrate into the community upon completion of
residential treatment
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To reduce the need for placement of the child out of the home or
community
The focus of the Community to Community Program is to
establish natural and community supports to promote success, safety, and
permanence in home, school, and community. Incorporated into this program is an
emphasis on the unique strengths, values, and culture of each child and family.
Vocational support, clinical services, and other services as needed by the
family support a High Fidelity Wraparound process led by qualified
facilitators. The goal of treatment is to establish a pattern of effective
family functioning and community support so that the child and their family
succeed as productive members of the community.
Expected
Outcomes of the Community to Community Program
El Pueblo has a proven record of
strategically planning and affectively delivering fiscally efficient programs.
Expected outcomes of the Community to Community Program are:
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improved family functioning
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reduced recidivism of delinquent youth served
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improved school attendance and/or vocational opportunity
·
reduction in the use of residential treatment and psychiatric
hospitalization
·
reduction in cost of care
Services Offered
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Family Preservation
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Family Reunification
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Social Support
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Therapeutic Aftercare
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Individual Therapy
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Family Therapy
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Sexual Offense Therapy
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Drug and Alcohol Therapy
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Educational Services
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Vocational / Employment Services
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Life Skills
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Integrated Contact Services
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Community to Community Support
All of the above
services may be tailored to fit the needs of the adolescent Developmentally
Disabled population.
Human Service Need in
Pueblo County Being Addressed
According to a report from the
Colorado Division of Child Welfare, during the period July 1, 2006 through March
31, 2007, there were 11,521 children in out-of-home placements in the state of
Colorado. Of those, 2,892 (25.1%) were in institutional or restrictive
placements.
El Pueblo’s Community to Community program will target
the remaining 75% of youth who are placed out-of-home and may have severe
emotional, behavioral or mental health difficulties. These are the adolescents
who are currently involved in multiple child serving agencies and who are at a
higher risk for institutional or restrictive placements if they don’t receive
intervention services.
Local statistics indicate that
presenting problems leading to the placement of youth include parental substance
abuse, unavailability of parents due to jail, homelessness, lack of ability to
parent, domestic violence, and mental health issues of parent. Over 80% of
families reported “self-sufficiency needs” (housing, employment, transportation,
etc.).
Wraparound addresses family dynamics and system issues
that promote out of home placement, truancy, adjudications, substance use, etc.
Cost savings are created by utilizing community-based services and reducing
length/level of care. Families are empowered to effectively utilize community
support without formal intervention.
Pursuant to the Child and Family
Services Review conducted by the Children’s Bureau within the U. S. Department
of Health and Human Services, there is an emphasis in improving outcomes
regarding safety, permanency, and Child and Family Well-Being.
National studies have reported
astounding outcomes of High Fidelity Wraparound:
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Elkhart, Indiana showed a 98% reduction in youth in out of county
care.
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In St. Paul Minnesota, a 99% reduction in youth in long-term
residential treatment.
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Florida: For youth in child welfare custody, there were
significantly fewer placement changes for youths in the Wraparound program,
fewer days on runaway, fewer days incarcerated, and older youths were
significantly more likely to be in a permanency plan at follow-up.
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Nevada: In comparing functional outcomes of Wraparound and
traditional mental health and child welfare services, there were statistically
significant decreases in abuse reports, residential level, law enforcement
contacts, school absences and disciplinary actions.
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Matched comparison study of youth involved in juvenile justice and
receiving mental health services: Youths in the comparison group were three
times more likely to commit a felony offense than youths in the Wraparound
group. Of the youth in the Connections program who did serve detention, they
did so significantly less often than their peers. Connections youth also took
three times longer to recidivate than those in the comparison group.
Population Served
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Males and Females between the ages of 10-18 years, and their
families
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Youth from Pueblo and surrounding Counties, to include youth
committed to the Department of Youth Corrections.
For more information on the
Community to Community Program, please
contact Jennifer Tibbs at (719) 404-1102 or e-mail:
jtibbs@elpueblokids.org
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A Licensed Provider by the
