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Families FIRST - Family Intervention and
Remediation Services and Training
Our Services
Families FIRST is a division of NMG that provides therapeutic foster care for at-risk children in Aroostook County. Each therapeutic foster home or respite home provides treatment to children with emotional and behavioral problems. The children served are between birth and eighteen years old. They have histories that include emotional problems, aggression, school failure, police or court involvement, and numerous prior placements. The objectives of Families FIRST are to reunify children with their birth families, to unite children in care with potential adoptive families, and to develop successful foster care placements.
After assessing their strengths and challenges, Families FIRST places children in homes where it is most likely that their needs can be met. Considering the family structure of the therapeutic foster family and the needs of the child helps us ensure that we have made the best placement possible for everyone. We are committed to stopping the cycle of multiple placements that many of our children have experienced.
Our Model:
As the basis of its treatment, Families FIRST employs a teaching model designed for use in therapeutic foster homes. This model combines positive reinforcement and real-world consequences to teach appropriate behaviors. Therapeutic foster parents learn to recognize that when children engage in inappropriate behavior, it is an opportunity to teach them skills. Children in care are able to learn appropriate alternatives to the behaviors they need to change. Therapeutic foster parents help children focus on learning skills they can use every day in the areas of academics, independent living, social interaction, self-care, and community interaction.
Families FIRST develops teams made up of case managers who work with children, therapeutic foster parents, birth or adoptive parents, therapists and caseworkers from referral agencies. Older children have the opportunity to participate in their planning if they desire to do so. This team develops and maintains individualized treatment plans. Because our therapeutic foster parents are trained professionals, we believe they know the children in their care better than anyone else. As a result, foster parents are an essential part of the team that develops treatment plans for the child.
Children’s progress is continually monitored by foster parents, case managers, and a clinician. Families FIRST provides home visits by case managers who work one-on-one with foster children to help monitor and evaluate progress towards treatment goals. Monthly reviews and updates help keep individualized treatment plans current and effective. Treatment plans are designed to grow and change with the child in care.
Our Foster Parents:
Families FIRST guides foster parents as they develop the skills they need for the rewarding job of helping children. The first thing our foster parents learn is the teaching model, which is explained in a pre-service training. Additional training opportunities include CPR, First Aid, Behavior Management, and Medication Administration. Other training occasions are provided to continue parents’ professional development. All of these trainings are offered locally, through NMG.
Families FIRST delivers in-home support, telephone-based assistance and guidance, and emergency crisis intervention services to our therapeutic foster parents. Respite days are provided for foster parents to utilize at their convenience to give them a chance to take a break from the responsibilities that their position requires. Furthermore, Families FIRST works in a team effort with foster parents, so that we can all make a difference in a child’s life!
For more information about the program, please contact the Program Coordinator at (207) 444-5152 ext. 270.
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