FAMILY TIES OF WESTCHESTER INC
112 EAST POST ROAD 3RD FLOOR, WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601 www.familytieswestchester.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF FAMILY TIES OF WESTCHESTER IS TO PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY SERVICES TO FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES. WE CONNECT FAMILIES TO ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE AND SUSTAIN GOOD HEALTH, EMOTIONAL WELLNESS AND FAMILY STABILITY.

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITY. FAMILY TIES PROMOTES THE WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE AND ON-THE-GROUND EXPERTISE. WE PARTNER WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE FOUNDATION THEY NEED TO BUILD A HEALTHY, MEANINGFUL LIFE. WITH ACCESS TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, EVERY FAMILY IS ABLE TO THRIVE.

FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES/RESOURCE CENTERSFAMILY TIES' THIRTY YEAR HISTORY BEGAN WITH ONE SMALL GROUP OF PARENTS WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THEIR OWN FAMILIES' COMPLEX CHALLENGES. TODAY, OUR CERTIFIED STAFF SERVES OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY AT OUR FOUR RESOURCE CENTERS LOCATED IN MOUNT VERNON, OSSINING, PEEKSKILL AND YONKERS. OUR RESOURCE CENTERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR ORGANIZATION. IT IS THERE THAT FAMILIES BECOME PART OF A LARGER PEER COMMUNITY WHERE THEY FIND MUCH-NEEDED RESPITE AND MOTIVATION, GAIN THE CONFIDENCE TO SET AND ACHIEVE GOALS, AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER'S STRUGGLES AND SUCCESSES. WE RECOGNIZE CAREGIVERS AS FULL PARTNERS IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR THEIR CHILD'S CARE. OUR SUPPORT GROUPS AND PROGRAMS ARE FAMILY DRIVEN AND YOUTH GUIDED, CELEBRATE THE RACIAL, CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, AND ARE AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES FOR AS LONG AS THEY NEED THEM. ALL FAMILY TIES SERVICES ARE FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL.WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITY. WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE FAMILIES WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS ARE EMBRACED BY THEIR COMMUNITY, NO LONGER FEEL STIGMATIZED OR ISOLATED BY THEIR CHALLENGES, AND ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED. FAMILY TIES PROMOTES THE WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THROUGH A COMBINATION OF LIVED EXPERIENCE AND ON-THE-GROUND EXPERTISE. WE PARTNER WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS WESTCHESTER COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE FOUNDATION THEY NEED TO BUILD A HEALTHY, MEANINGFUL LIFE.OUR APPROACH IS INCLUSIVE, ROOTED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT, WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, EVERY FAMILY IS ABLE TO THRIVE.IN 2019, FAMILY TIES SERVED 467 FAMILIES (1,793 FAMILY MEMBERS) BY PROVIDING INDIVIDUALIZED PEER SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY, GROUP SUPPORT AND EDUCATION, AND EMPOWERING ALL MEMBERS TO USE THEIR VOICE TO POSITIVELY TRANSFORM THEIR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND THE SYSTEMS THAT IMPACT THEM.

EVERY KID COUNTSSOMETIMES FAMILIES FACE A PARENTING CRISIS AND DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, OR WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP. WITHOUT SUPPORT, THINGS CAN BECOME UNMANAGEABLE. AS A RESULT, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES (CPS) MAY GET INVOLVED, RECOGNIZING THAT CAREGIVERS OFTEN NEED GUIDANCE, STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT TO GET BACK ON TRACK. EVERY KID COUNTS (EKC) IS A VOLUNTARY, SHORT-TERM PROGRAM DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY FUNCTIONING AND PREVENT FUTURE CPS REPORTS. THE EKC CASE PLANNERS FIRST ASSES THE STRENGTHS AND NEEDS OF A FAMILY, AND THEN CONTINUE TO MEET WITH THEM WEEKLY, IN THE HOME, TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT EVERYONE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. ADDITIONALLY, EKC CASE PLANNERS ADVOCATE FOR THE FAMILY, EVALUATE THE NEED FOR SERVICES, CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES, AND CREATE A PLAN THAT IS INDIVIDUALIZED AND SAFETY-FOCUSED. AFTER THREE TO SIX MONTHS, FAMILIES ARE REASSESSED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE CAREGIVERS AND CHILDREN HAVE INTEGRATED THEIR NEWLY LEARNED SKILLS AND ARE IN A SAFE AND SUCCESSFULLY FUNCTIONING FAMILY ENVIRONMENT. ONCE THEY HAVE FINISHED THE PROGRAM, CAREGIVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BECOME A PART OF THEIR LOCAL FAMILY TIES RESOURCE CENTER TO ENSURE CONTINUED SUCCESS.EVERY KID COUNTS IF FUNDED THROUGH THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES THROUGH COMMUNITY OPTIONAL PREVENTIVE SERVICES (COPS) FUNDS AND SERVED 63 CAREGIVERS AND 157 CHILDREN IN 2019.

ACHIEVEACHIEVE (AKA NEW YORK STATE SYSTEMS OF CARE) IS A FOUR YEAR, STATE-FUNDED DEMONSTRATION PROJECT CONVENED BY NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH (OMH) TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFICACY OF HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND (HFW)WITHIN THE HEALTH HOME CARE COORDINATION MODEL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH HIGH-END MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND IS A STRUCTURED, OUTCOMES-DRIVEN AND FAMILY CENTERED PROCESS WHICH HELPS YOUTH WITH COMPLEX BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES AND OVERALL WELL-BEING, WHILE LIVING IN THEIR OWN HOMES AND COMMUNITIES.IN 2019, 31 FAMILIES VOLUNTARILY WORKED WITH A TEAM CONSISTING OF A HEALTH HOME CARE COORDINATOR FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, AND BOTH A FAMILY AND YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE, WHO ARE FAMILY TIES EMPLOYEES. THE TEAM MAINTAINED REGULAR CONTACT WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILYBOTH BY PHONE AND IN PERSON AND HELPED THEM TO CRAFT AN INDIVIDUALIZED WELLNESS PLAN THAT BUILDS ON THEIR UNIQUE STRENGTHS, GOALS AND DREAMS. FAMILIES ARE IN THE "DRIVER'S SEAT" DURING ALL STAGES OF THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, WHILE THE YOUTH AND FAMILY PEER ADVOCATES PARTNER WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY AND STRENGTHEN THEIR NATURAL SUPPORTS, CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES AND RESOURCES THAT MEET THEIR NEEDS, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

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