| Description
of the Link Approach
Youth
and Family Link has found a successful prescription to help families in our community.
Please click on a link to learn more:
Service
Flexibility - Services In The Community, Not In An Office - Engagement of Youth and Families -
Education
Program - Vocational Program - After-school Group Program -
Linking Youth to Positive Community Resources - Family
Involvement - Length of Program - Alumni Program -
Community
Service Projects/Volunteering -
Cultural Services
Service
Flexibility
The hallmark of the Link
program is in the staff's ability to work with youth
and families in a variety of settings, hours, activities
and situations. Each child and family has unique needs.
Thus, it is the program's philosophy and practice that
services remain completely flexible.
The Link belief is that we are "hired" by
the youth and family for whatever help we are able to provide. Services
may include helping the child to make new friends, helping the child
to become involved in positive activities, or helping the child to do
better in school. These are only examples since the entirety of what
Link provides depends upon what the child and family want. Furthermore,
it is important to note that individualized services and support, by
themselves, are not sufficient. It is clearly evident that flexibility
must be coupled with simple goals for the youth and family to achieve.
Such goals must be concrete, measurable, achievable and developed by
the family.
The program's flexibility has also allowed us to continually revise the
program to meet the family needs, rather than forcing them to meet a
pre-defined program. We never attempt to force services, rather we adapt
services to the needs of the child and family.
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Services
in the community, not in the office
Link staff works with
the youth and families in the home, the community,
the school or wherever the youth and family are most
comfortable. This allows staff to successfully engage
youth and families and help them to connect (or "link") to the services and resources they need. The Link program's success in engaging
youth and families is strongly based on its willingness
to meet the family in their own environment.
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Engagement
of youth and families
The primary role of the Link
program is to help the youth and family engage services.
Professional services and community resources are not
always accessible. Therefore, Link helps to ease the
transition to services and resources. This may include
helping with transportation, attending meetings or assisting
access to resources. Although there are some standard
services offered by Link, such as school support, the
goals and services offered to achieve those goals are
as unique as the family. Families and youth may not have
utilized services previously because those services offered
were not appropriate for them.
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Education
program
In most cases, the youth
in the program have difficulty in school. This may
be anything from truancy to poor grades. The Link staff
work with youth directly in the school setting. Staff
coordinates communication between the school and home
as well as helping the child to access additional education
services.
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Vocational
program
Older youth, when appropriate,
and as identified in their service plan, are given
help in vocational development. These are typically
older teens in need of skills needed for independent
living.
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After-School
group program
Link offers both after-school
group programs and individual services, depending on
the youth and family's readiness for services. The
after-school program provides the means for youth to
learn about available community resources and how to
improve peer relationships.
Youth who are not appropriate for the after-school group program are
provided individual services in the community and may be paired with
other youth.
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Linking
youth to positive community resources and peer groups
The Link program provides
information to youth and their families about positive
community activities like community activities, parks
and recreation programs, the YMCA, intramural sports,
school-sponsored activities or any other resources
of interest. Staff actively support and direct youth
and their families to be involved. Such support includes
helping with transportation, attending with them or
helping them to secure the necessary funds to be involved.
Personal hygiene is a primary focus for all youth. This is structured
and reviewed on an on-going basis. Goal sheets are used in the home so
the youth and their parents share responsibility for personal hygiene
and household chores.
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Family
involvement
Every involvement in the
Link program relates back to the involvement of family.
Service plans are developed with the family and change
accordingly. School involvement, homework and tutoring
are further tasks where the family is involved. Even
with the group program, parents are informed of the
youth's successes/issues. Link staff helps the youth
to identify better skills. This information is shared
with parents so they can practice the same skills in
the home.
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Length
of program
The Link program is typically
three to six months with an additional three months,
if needed. As the youth's time in the program increases,
the amount of services decreases. The most services
(i.e., staff time) are spent in the beginning during
the engagement period. Following engagement, staff
primarily helps the youth and families to link up to
resources in the community. This allows the family
to develop autonomy while utilizing community resources.
With the family's increased involvement, staff phase
into more of a monitoring role with the family, thus
allowing for family independence.
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Alumni
Program
Upon completion of identified
goals, the youth graduates from the Link program. A
graduation activity is planned and the youth receives
a framed certificate of completion. All graduates of
the Link program become members of the Link Alumni
Group.
Every three months, an alumni activity brings together all alumni members.
The activity is always something fun so there is good attendance. This
activity allows Link graduates to stay in touch with one another, meet
new friends and to remind kids that Link is still available if further
help is needed.
As a part of the alumni program, Link continues to be available whenever
a youth and family may need further assistance. This helps the youth
and family so they do not have to re-enter the social service system
when things in life get a little rough and they need some added support.
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Community
Service Projects/Volunteering
Community Service projects
and volunteering are standard parts of the Link program.
We find that many kids take pride in being able to
help others. Projects and volunteer positions include
the Humane Society, Head Start, retirement homes, adult
foster homes, and community clean up.
This has proven to be a strong program component for most of the youth.
It allows the youth to focus less on themselves and see that others are
also in need. By giving back to their community, youth feel a closer
connection and involvement. This allows youth to more easily access and
utilize community resources.
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Cultural Services
Consideration of the family's culture is essential in defining Link services
for youth and families. Not only ethnically, but also socio-economically,
the family's culture defines the services provided through Link. An important
aspect of our service is to help the family and youth be successful within
the framework of their culture and background.
We assist youth and families to identify and participate in activities
or organizations relevant to their culture.
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Service
Flexibility - Services In The Community, Not In An Office - Engagement of Youth and Families -
Education
Program - Vocational Program - After-school Group Program -
Linking Youth to Positive Community Resources - Family
Involvement - Length of Program - Alumni Program -
Community
Service Projects/Volunteering - Cultural Services
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