People in Louisiana know family is everything. It’s the key to keeping our communities strong and vibrant. That’s why we put so much effort into our Youth and Family Services. Each one is designed to build up the next generation and help restore family life.
Therapeutic Foster Care
Sadly, society still struggles with the problem of abused, neglected, and troubled children. The problem is compounded when a child suffers from a physical or mental issue. Often, through no fault of their own, these children must be separated from their homes. It’s a critical time in their life, a time that can make or break their future.
That is why we contract with the Department of Children and Family Services to help children temporarily placed in their custody.
We find specially trained foster parents who open their homes and offer temporary care to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They offer hope in a therapeutic, caring environment when a child must be temporarily separated from parents or relatives.
More about Therapeutic Foster CareMatch Mentoring (Mentoring, Advising, Tutoring, Counseling, and Helping
Ask any successful person their life story, and they will usually point to a mentor who helped guide them through the storms of life. Without that mentor, their struggles may have led to a downward spiral of bad decisions.
The MATCH program, for children and adolescents in Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes, provides the sort of guidance that can change their lives. It teams youth from ages 6-12 and 16-22 with a college student that can help guide them.
It focuses on youth with needs that stem from struggles with diagnosed mild to moderate intellectual development. These young people have been assessed as at risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, academic failure, and poor employment prospects.
But MATCH provides a way out.
Mentors provide youth with real-life examples of success and perseverance. They also offer guidance that youth can relate to when faced with a difficult situation.
Adolescents must be referred by the Metropolitan Human Services District-Development Disabilities Services Office for this program.
Child-Adolescent Response Team (CART)
When a family feels like they are in crisis, the need is real and immediate. That is why we offer CART. The program provides fast, quality interventions for children and adolescents under age 18 experiencing an acute crisis.
CART offers respite services that are community-based and provide resolutions that can decrease hospital admissions.
Lecirque Mentoring
Funded by the South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority, this mentoring program provides mentoring for youth in Terrebonne Parish. Our family of skilled caseworkers provides structured individual and group activities, all designed to help children get the help needed to succeed.
Our staff provides assistance with life skills, homework, and socialization skills. They also offer recreational and educational outings to broaden the horizons of children in the program.
The end result is a strong set of fundamental skills that help children succeed.
Child and Adolescent Case Management
Youth in Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes can benefit from this time-limited Intensive Case Management and Consumer Care Resource. It provides assistance to families of the Acadiana Area Human Services District that reduces placement out of the home, increases time in school, and reduces hospitalizations.
Short-Term Respite
Families and caregivers of a youth with a severe emotional disorder can struggle to maintain their own well-being. But sometimes, it just takes a little outside help to restore relationships and regain some harmony.
Our Short-term Respite Care Program can help de-escalate stressful situations and environments by offering temporary direct care and supervision for youth in their own home or community settings.
One of our skilled care providers can create a mental buffer for children in an environment where they feel comfortable. It can be in their own home or a public place such as a park, any place that will improve the situation. Please note, however, this program cannot be provided in a facility-based setting.
We realize that sometimes situations escalate quickly, so we offer help on an emergency basis. Our team keeps the program flexible, offering services after school or at night and providing assistance with transportation to and from school appointments, medical appointments, and community activities.
Short-term Respite can be a great way to restore balance and bring hope and healing to family relationships.
To learn more about Short Term Respite Care, click on the link below:
Life Skills Training
Children in grades 3—6 are at a pivotal age in their development. Helping them deal with problems makes life better for them and their community. That’s why Life Skills training is a fantastic opportunity to help youth who might be at risk for substance abuse, physical abuse, addiction, compulsive gambling, and other destructive behaviors.
The program, funded by the South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority, is an 8-10 week course that uses real-life examples to help students avoid high-risk behaviors.
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDTP
Children with physical limitations stemming from injury or illness can get the care they need through this Medicaid-funded program. Our trained caregivers can help with eating, bathing, dressing, or taking care of other physical needs.
It is available for people from infancy up to age 21 who meet the medical criteria. While it does not cover medical tasks like giving medication, tube feeding, placing catheters, ostomy, or tracheostomy care, it does cover the following:
- Basic personal-care, toileting and grooming activities.
- Assistance with bladder and/or bowel requirements or problems.
- Assistance with eating and food preparation.
- Performance of incidental household chores, only for the recipient
- Accompanying, not transporting, recipient to medical appointments.
Trackers
A child or adolescent under the supervision of the State of Louisiana Office of Youth Services/Office of Juvenile Justice is especially vulnerable. But we believe, with the right help, anyone can get back on track with their lives. So we go the extra mile with the Trackers program.
Our staff monitors behavior and provides close supervision of youth between the ages of 10 and 21, supervised by the State of Louisiana Office of Youth Services/Office of Juvenile Justice. They provide the extra individual attention that child or adolescent needs to avoid at-risk behavior.
We aim to promote the child’s emotional and social adjustment. These two areas are usually scarred by the years of bad decisions and their consequences. But we work to help them get rid of destructive patterns of behavior that hurt them and their community.
We continue to guide their efforts with aftercare planning and services that help them on their journey.
