| four_points_referral_form_2020.doc |
Please complete above referral and email to fourpointsinc@yahoo.com.
Services for Families with DFCS Involvement
All services provided to families involved with DFCS are funded by Providing Safe and Stable Families (PSSF), therefore there is no cost to the families. We generally maintain a caseload of 40-45 families between our 4 offices for this type of case. Our services are designed to provide meaningful contact for families and to improve outcomes for families working towards reunification. We are also able to provide services for families who are not working towards reunification.
The process to initiate services is 1) a referral is received from DFCS, 2) Staff contacts the parent and schedules an intake appointment, 3) After the intake is completed with the parent, staff contacts the foster family to schedule visits, 4) Visitation is scheduled to occur as soon as possible after the intake and regularly scheduled services commence.
Staff will only contact the Case Manager if there is a problem with scheduling the services, otherwise, Four Points will handle the process from referral to service.
Reports are completed that detail all interaction with families including visitation reports. These reports are automatically forwarded to the Case Manager for the case soon after they are completed. The client's attorney will also receive a copy if the client opts for that. Staff is available for Family Team Meetings, Citizen Panel Reviews, and Court Testimony as necessary.
Supervised Visitation
This is our primary service for DFCS clients. We arrange for families to have meaningful and safe contact while separated by foster care or a safety plan. Visitation is normally scheduled once per week for two hours at a time. If the child is an infant under 1, the child is available, and there are open slots for it, we can schedule visits to be twice per week. We do sibling visits for children who are separated from their siblings in foster care as well. After a referral is received from the Case Manager, Four Points staff makes all arrangements for visitation with the family members and the foster family.
Child Transportation
Four Points transporters pick up children in foster care from either school, daycare, or their foster home and transports them for their visits. This can be either roundtrip or one way depending on need. Generally, we do not transport children across county lines as this is a limited resource for Four Points and as a result, is only available for close distance transports. Providing transportation increases the contact that children are able to have with their families and assists foster families. This service is meant to facilitate visitation and is offered for children that have foster parents who are working and as a result, are unable to provide this transportation for their foster children.
Parent Transportation
Four Points transporters pick up parents from their home and transport them either one way or roundtrip for their visits. This service is offered for parents who do not have reliable transportation in order to facilitate their regular bonding time with their children. This is a limited resource for Four Points and as a result, is only offered for close proximity transports. Transportation is only offered to and from visits and is not available for any other destinations.
Resource Meetings/Case Management
Four Points staff works with our parents to ensure that they have all of the resources they need to become stable and successful. Staff meets with parents to identify any needs that are not being met and through providing brochures, making contact with resources, and sending referrals, staff assists parents in obtaining the resources they are in need of. Staff also works with the parents on meeting case plan goals for reunification during resource meetings. Common resources provided are: low income housing, public transportation, discount food programs and food banks, enrichment classes, and emergency shelters.
Drug/Alcohol Screening
Certified Four Points staff conducts oral, urine, or hair follicle screens on parents either prior to visits, at the request of the case manager, or on suspicion of intoxication. Specimens are forwarded to a testing lab for further confirmation. Screens are normally requested by the Case Manager or in a Court Order. Screens are completed randomly or at intervals requested by the case manager. Drug screens are a component of ensuring safe and sober contact of all families visiting at our centers. Parents who do have positive screens are provided with resources for local substance abuse help such as rehabilitation, counseling, and support groups. This service requires a service authorization from the case manager and can be completed whether or not the individual has a visitation case with us.
Parent Aide Services
Trained Facilitators meet with parents one on one to teach the evidence based Nurturing Parent class. The class is 16 units long and takes from 12-18 weeks to complete if a parent maintains regular attendance. The parent earns a certificate of completion at the end of the class. The classes are generally scheduled to occur at the center either right before or right after visitation so that the parent is able to have their visit and parenting class on the same day so they don't miss work or have to spend extra money on gas having to come to the center twice for separate services. This class emphasizes nurturing skills and covers topics such as age appropriate discipline, developmental stages, increasing empathy, and several other topics designed to increase practical parenting capacity. This service requires a service authorization from the case manager and can be completed whether or not the individual has a visitation case with us. Case managers may request customized Parent Aide services that may or may not include the entire Nurturing Parenting series among other subjects such as budgeting, employment, childproofing the home, etc.