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Reuben Lindh Reuben Lindh Family ServicesFamily Services

Improving Children’s OutcomesDianne Haulcy, Executive Director, Reuben Lindh Family

ServicesNational Conference on Ending Family Homelessness

February 8th, 2008Seattle, Washington

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Reuben Lindh is dedicated Reuben Lindh is dedicated to:to: Increasing the parenting, social

and independent living skills of at-risk families

Providing culturally-sensitive childcare and family support services

Developing the full potential of children through occupational, speech/language, physical, and music therapies

Strengthening family relationships through individual, family and play therapies

Offering community resource support

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Combining early childhood education Combining early childhood education

with therapy & in-home family workwith therapy & in-home family work RAP (Rebuilding Appropriate Parenting)

Intensive support services to women who have completed chemical dependency treatment or aftercare programs, and are making the transition to sober parenting

HOPE (Healthy Outcomes/Parenting Education) In-home parenting program for families involved with Hennepin County Child

Protective Services

Family Focus Helps families facing multiple challenges such as poverty, housing, isolation, lack of

parenting skills, mental health issues, substance abuse, and other conditions contributing to family instability. Services are offered to families involved in the Multicultural Therapeutic Preschool

STRONG (Strengthening Our Next Generation) Collaborative between three agencies. Designed to integrate housing,

child development, chemical dependency, and mental health services into one seamless system

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RAPRAPFrom December 2006 to December 2007. Mothers/parents who achieved parenting

goals:    71% Mothers/parents who demonstrated 2 or

more new parenting skills:   70% Mothers/parents with open CPS cases at

intake whose cases closed at closure:     62.5%

Children reunified at closure of RAP services:   73%

Mothers who were sober at service termination:     68%

Clients who independently utilized 2 or more community resources:  78%

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HOPEHOPE Contracts with Hennepin County Direct client contact: 50 hours or 6 months Genogram and Eco-maps HOPE workers work with clients to mutually define

strategies toward highlighted goals

Tools: Parenting Assessments Family Worker observation School attendance records

Outcomes: 78% of participating clients demonstrated improvement in

parenting skills 93% of school age school children were in school on time/daily

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Family FocusFamily Focus Support of: RLFS’ Unified Therapy

Department and Family Therapy Department

Family workers Family workers and preschool

teachers work together to support the children and their families.

Tools Reuben Lindh Parenting Skills

Evaluation Family support service

workers staffing goals & teachers’ written behavioral goals

The social emotional checklist

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A Comparison of Reuben Lindh and Minnesota State Children entering kindergarten on 2005

(Children entering Kindergarten tested with the P4 Work Sampling)

DomainRLFS

Not YetMN

Not YetRLFS

In Proce

ss

MNIn

Process

RLFSProficien

t

MNProficien

t

Physical Development & Health

1% 4% 12% 30% 87% 67%

Personal & Social Development

---- 9% 24% 39% 76% 51%

The Arts 5% 7% 41% 40% 54% 53%

Language & Literacy 3% 13% 32% 40% 65% 47%

Mathematical Thinking 9% 12% 44% 42% 47% 46%List comments your child/ren make about school or

teacher:

Talks about playing. Likes to go to school everyday.

Talks about homework. Counts number, sing, dance, play

Likes teachers, drivers, friends, therapists, and her pictures.

They want to go to school, they like their school.

She talks about how she played with her friends at school, how good she was and about what she ate.

He loves his teacher and coming to school.

She says she likes her school and her teacher.

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My child/children like coming to preschool.

Always 84% Sometimes 16%

I have noticed changes in my child/children’s behavior since participating in this program.

Yes 91% Sometimes 2% No 7%

Family Focus, continued

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STRONGSTRONG

Tools: Infant and Toddler Development or the Miller 1st Step ASQ Client satisfaction survey Housing assistance, parenting skills and chemical

dependency counseling as provided as needed

Outcomes: 13 of the STRONG women are employed (one with two jobs) 8 of the women are in school working towards their GED, 2 of the women have completed chemical dependency

treatment. 39 children have been screened

■For mothers under 25 with at least one child under age 5■Families are homeless or at risk of being homeless■Five-year national pilot program funded by Hilton

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Important Components to Success

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Parental InvolvementParental Involvement■ Getting into homes

■ Relationship is key to client’s motivation to change

■ Setting up regular schedule of home visits increases success rate / family worker accountable and adding structure

■ Family Worker dependability

■ Looking for parents’ learning style (i.e. reading, modeling, provide experience)

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Family Therapy & Counseling ServicesFamily Therapy & Counseling Services Culturally sensitive individual, couple, family, group and play therapy

Integrated client staffings in the Family Focus and Four Directions Family Center screen and identify mental health issues and the need for therapy

Highest service provision each year is to children ages three to five receiving play therapy.

OutcomesClient report of changes and improvements: 73% Feel better about self 68% Can better handle problems that arise 70% Can name and express feelings 70% Communication with others has improved

Nine families (children and parents) in the STRONG program have been referred to Reuben Lindh Therapy Services

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Unified TherapyUnified Therapy Combined specialized services offered by

occupational therapy, physical therapy, music therapy and speech/language therapy

In-center or the home visiting programs for all children and their families who demonstrate need

Tools Therapy staff will screen all children in each

Preschool using standardized tools and follow-up assessments.

Pre and post therapeutic intervention assessment Ongoing contact with family workers, phone

contacts and home visits.

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Culturally appropriate curriculum

Family involvement/ home visits

Regular testing

Quality Preschool Program Quality Preschool Program preparing children for preparing children for

KindergartenKindergarten

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Screening and Testing and Screening and Testing and Intervention Intervention

for children and familiesfor children and families Screen children for developmental delay

(speech/language, hearing and vision), emotional stability

Parents are screened for parenting skills (AAPI) and evaluated for community and family resources (Eco-gram)

Testing in preschool (ASQ-SE) and ASQ, COR, Work Sampling (Preschool and 4D)

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Track Outcomes and Indicators Track Outcomes and Indicators

AnnuallyAnnually Annual program reports

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