An Intensive Mental Health Service Program for families involved with CPS and Youth Services. In cooperation with the WV DHHR
 

Braids for Families (BFF) is an intensive Mental Health Program developed to prevent out of home placements for children who have open CPS and Youth Service cases. Increasing the amount of behavioral health services to these families, Home Base Inc. will be able to thoroughly address the causes of maladaptive behaviors leading to the breakdown in family relationships by addressing these causes. The BFF Program allows a thorough treatment plan to be actively implemented multiple times per week. Intervention will focus on family relationships, interpersonal struggles, addiction, conflict, anger issues and emotional and behavioral problems. These are the primary issues contributing to, and exacerbating the need for children to be removed from their.homes or preventing children from being returned to their biological or kinship homes in a timely manner.


Caregiver Braids for Families
Home Base Inc. conducts a thorough assessment on all clients referred for services. These assessments are reviewed by professionals with diagnostic rights and are included in all case files. Parents who opt in to the BFF program are assigned a masters level Clinician who will meet with them in person and review the assessed information, the Clinician will develop a comprehensive treatment plan that may include, individual counseling services multiple times per week, as well as group counseling with other parents who are struggling with similar issues. As a BFF participant, parents will experience a compassionate and encompassing professional team whose primary goal is to maintain the family’s integrity as a self-reliant unit. Our Outreach Coordinators will work to support the treatment plan goals and objectives while ensuring that the life skills, parenting skills and other ASO services are provided with the same outcomes in mind.


Adolescents Braids for Families
Adolescents with open Youth Service cases and who are at risk of out of home placement are also eligible for the BFF program. Focusing on the assessment and treatment planning process, our Clinicians will be able to integrate after school programming, crisis support, and individual counseling for our most vulnerable youth. This process will help them navigate the pressures of being a youth with mental illness and behavioral problems. Working together with a caring team of professionals within our organization whom are tasked with multiple interventions, both individually and in groups we will be able to provide the requisite mental health support. The additional support will assist youth in achieving the resilience and coping skills needed to stay in their communities and accomplish successful outcomes.

How does my family become a BFF family?
As we begin to open this program to families across the state, we would ask you to simply let your Home Base Inc. Unit Supervisor know when you make an ASO referral that you would like the family to be involved in the BFF Program. Eligibility is dependent on a family member having a WV Medicaid ID and involved in an open CPS or Youth Service case. Your HBI Unit Supervisor may ask you for documentation that establishes required criteria if it is not already on record with the ASO referral.

If the family is unwilling to participate in the BFF program we will notify you so that you are aware that the services will not begin until the family is willing to participate. The BFF Program records for each family will be maintained according to HIPPA standards in a separate electronic medical health records system. Consents to release information will be required from the Medicaid member or their legal guardian. We strongly encourage DHHR case workers to sit in on treatment planning activities to insure congruent outcomes and goals for each family.