Intensive Family-Based Services

How our program works:

A Youth Services counselor meets with a family in their home for 2 hours or more each week for up to 6 months. During the first few sessions, the counselor explains how the program works and identifies the family’s strengths and concerns. Problems are addressed, and family counseling and support are provided during subsequent sessions.

Youth Services helps families:

• Build parenting and communication skills
• Understand their children’s needs and learn how to nurture their healthy development
• Deal with struggles around issues such as fighting, discipline, school and bedtimes
• Find resources for housing, heat, food, clothing, medical care and transportation
• Obtain job training, education and access to public benefits
• Address concerns about substance abuse or family violence
• Cope with a crisis
• Identify their goals and find ways to achieve those goals
• Learn how to become self-sufficient

The mess surrounding our divorce affected my kids in a bad way. Counseling from Youth Services taught me to deal with situations differently, how to handle them better, improve the outcome. Thanks to them, my kids are also getting individual help and will have a Big Sister or Big Brother. My daughter is starting to get her sparkle back.

Local Parent

How families get involved in the program:

• Families may take the initiative by contacting Youth Services
• Someone who is helping a family (for example, a school counselor) or the Department for Children and Families may refer a family to the program

Program Costs

There is no charge for the program’s services.