Children's Home Community Services Inc. Performance

COMMUNITY SEVICE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT REPORT

2009 - 2010

GROUP HOMES (POTTER’S HOUSE, ISAIAH HOUSE AND ESTHER HOUSE)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Esther House – This past year we implemented a program to foster independent living skills and provide youths with essential tools to promote successful transitions to DMHAS Young Adult Services Program.
During this two-week pilot project of “Independent Living Week”, all residents were:

1. Provided with funds to budget for and purchase their own groceries, and were responsible for cooking their meals
2. Responsible for making their own appointments (medical and other), each youth was provided with an agenda planner to keep track of all appointments
3. Responsible for coordinating transportation (made formal requests to staff)
4. Responsible for pouring their medications with the supervision of staff
5. Provided with appointment cards to meet with the clinician for individual and group sessions (expected to “show up” at clinician’s office versus clinician getting them)
6. Expected to complete daily chores without prompts, within their own timeframes (youth could decide when to complete)
7. Expected to wake themselves using alarm clock, complete hygiene without prompting, attend to ADLs with limited hurdle help

During the second week of “Independent Living Week” the Program Director of Torrington YAS of DMHAS came for Q&A for all TGH youths to attend.

Following the two-week pilot project residents provided feedback and subjective appraisals of their successes, as well as skill sets to be enhanced and potential impediments. Residents’ self-assessments were later integrated and tailored to individual treatments plans to continue to promote independent living skills including, but not limited to, weekly budgeting exercises, maintaining and balancing mock checkbooks, navigating public transportation systems and self-administration of medications with the supervision of certified staff.

Potters House - Sexuality Health Groups
Each resident has been participating in monthly health groups through the ABC WAIT Program. Group will primarily focus on sexuality but will also include health and hygiene issues as they arise. The group which began 2/4/10 takes place for one hour weekly. The residents appear to enjoy the group and are responding well.   

Isaiah House -

• Residents raised over $100 for the March of Dimes and participated in the walk
• Residents are assigned to cook one dinner a week with staff assistance
• Residents actively engaged in a summer educational program led by our co-supervisor including research projects, summer reading, and academic worksheets to name a few things
• Residents have been engaged in home improvement projects expanding their life skills and experiences
• Staff have received quarterly trainings that include topics specific to our population such as Reactive Attachment Disorder, self-injury, and children with behavior problems to enhance their development and improve the therapeutic approach in our milieu
• Our RN has increased individual medication certification training with staff to enhance their expertise in DCF medication administration

All Houses - Ansell Casey Surveys were implemented during in order to gain additional data regarding the girls' strengths and needs surrounding independent living skills. Developmental Assets surveys are now being conducted on a quarterly basis. The TOPs survey was implemented with the first girl in December and plans are in place to implement it with each girl during the next quarter.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR

During the next year the group homes will improve on the group therapies provided for the young women. Evidence-based group therapy will enhance the existing curriculums.

THE FAMILY TREATMENT CENTER

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• In response to Community need/request the Family Counseling Center launched a major initiative to provide multiple therapeutic groups for children and their families.  These groups are facilitated by licensed therapists and have been very successful in meeting community need.  Groups have covered a range of topics and curricula to include the following:

Anger Management for Young Boys
Anger Management for Older Boys (Teens)
Anger Management for Girls (Teens)
Parenting Educational Group
Friendship Circle!
Social Skills Group for Younger Children
Substance Abuse Prevention Group

Anger Management and Parenting groups utilize evidence-based programs and are facilitated by a curricula-certified therapist.  Referrals for these various groups have emanated from area school systems, courts, juvenile review boards, juvenile justice/probation and other providers.  The Center is continuing to create additional groups as we seek clinicians who may provide for specialty populations and needs.

• The Center has shifted hiring practice from contracting generalists to clinicians who possess specializations. 
• As a result the Center is offering programming to include screening and assessment for substance dependency and abuse, resulting in more accurate diagnostics on possible dual diagnosis and more succinct clinical formulation and treatment recommendations.
• The clinic is contracting with a school psycholologist/ licensed professional counselor who is able to receive clients struggling with developmental / intellectual challenge and/or have been designated on the Autism Spectrum.  This person works with clients and their families to facilitate and design behavioral and academic intervention for support and success in the community.

• The Center’s Director has invested time and funding in training and materials to initiate expansion of the agency’s Supervised Visitation Program.  The Center has contracted with a license-eligible clinician who is taking cases and assisting with marketing the program to attorneys, court system and family relations boards.

• A professional now retired volunteer has been added to the Center’s staff.  This person works with the Billing Coordinator and Business Office to modify and improve administrative function, clinical documentation processes and the quality assurance of case files.  This person volunteers 10-15 hours a week and has brought about vast improvement in system functioning and supports the Center’s ongoing Performance Improvement initiative.

THE TRAINING ACADEMY

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Training Academy has focused on is primary output of ensuring that all staff of both The Children’s Home (CHOC) and The Children’s Home Community Services (CSI) are professionally trained in the competencies required for their specific job in a timely manner. Towards this end;

• Monthly reports were provided to all Program Managers listing the trainings that their staff is required to complete, sorted by job classification.
• Based on the Training Reports, classes were added as needed and the Training Calendar for the agency was continuously updated. Professional Instructors were contracted to provide trainings as needed.
• An on-line version of Professional Boundaries training was created. This improved our ability to provide this training prior to staff assuming their duties.
• The matrix of required training for each position within the agency was revised.

Additionally, the ROPES/Challenge Course was inspected and improved through the work of Northeast Adventures. Facilitators are now in place to provide adventures to community groups and to the youth at CHOC and CSI.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR

1. To continue to work towards partnerships that support increased utilization of the ROPES/Challenge Course.
2. To add training that supports improved competencies for staff working with youth and young adults with developmental disabilities and mental health issues.