What are Intensive Family Support services?
Intensive Family Support services help families who are facing a lot of complex problems all at once. Intensive Family Support services will work with you and your family to help make positive changes in your and your children’s lives to increase safety in the home.
Who do we help?
Families who are expecting or have children under 18 years old residing in their household. This service cannot work with children or young people under Child Safety Orders. If you are unsure, please contact us so we can help you find the right service for your family. Anyone can contact including parents, grandparents, family members, young people as well as professionals, and we can be contacted as often as needed.
How can we help?
If you have been referred to an Intensive Family Support service, your family may be under a great deal of stress which could be affecting how you are caring for your children.
Intensive Family Support services will work alongside you and your family through the issues you are facing, with the goal of keeping children safely in the home. We will connect you with one of our Child and Family Practitioners, and together, we will help your family to identify your strengths as well as the things you’re most worried about. We will develop a plan to deal with each of the issues you are struggling with. We will coordinate other community and government services that you may need. We can meet in your home, at our service or wherever you feel comfortable in talking about your issues.
Does it cost anything?
There is no cost for you and your family to be supported by an Intensive Family Support service.
What happens when you meet with us?
When your family agrees to work with us, one of our Child and Family Practitioners will meet with you and your family to:
- hear your family’s story, in your words
- discuss your family’s worries and concerns
- discuss your family’s strengths and hopes
- develop goals and put a plan together that all family members agree to.
Once your family’s plan has been mapped out, we will help you to take the steps outlined in the plan.
This will probably include working with you in your home and connecting you to other community programs and services to meet your support needs.
Our Child and Family Practitioner will meet regularly with you and anyone else who is important to your family to:
- talk about your achievements
- discuss what has already been done
- problem-solve any challenges or barriers you are facing
- plan the next steps.