Care and Connection for Families uses a whole-family approach to help families recover after a child experiences a mental health crisis. Our services include short-term crisis intervention and counseling services.
Care and Connection for Families uses a whole-family approach to help Montgomery County families recover after a child experiences a mental health crisis. Our services include short-term crisis intervention and counseling services.
Care and Connection for Families provides short-term in-home counseling and support services to youths experiencing a mental health crisis. JGPH provides crisis intervention services that address the family’s immediate needs. We help pave the way toward long-term stability with support services.  We also provide specialized services to youths who recently immigrated to the U.S. and are experiencing a mental health crisis.
What Is Care and Connection for Families? #
Care and Connection for Families delivers in-home counseling to support families whose children are experiencing severe emotional or behavioral problems.
Eligible youths may include those:
• At high-risk for hospitalization but who can be served safely at home with intensive therapy and support services:
• In need of intensive community-based services following discharge from a residential treatment center or psychiatric hospitalization.
• Engaging in behaviors such as vandalism, mild property destruction, fighting
• Who are a danger to self or others.
Our efforts go beyond mental health crisis intervention. We help families learn communication techniques so they can meet their child’s ongoing needs. We also provide referrals to local support services, including food banks or long-term counseling services, to help families maintain stabilization. .
Care and Connection for Families from JGPH #
We use a team approach that includes therapists and caseworkers (in-home stabilizers). Caring for the youth and family in their home gives us a unique perspective on the factors contributing to the crisis and the best ways to address them.
Our services are:
Intensive
Therapists and in-home stabilizers provide counseling and support in the family’s home, with multiple sessions per week. A member of our team is available by phone 24 hours a day for families who need support between appointments.
Family-centered
Our services encompass the family’s emotional and practical needs
We provide crisis intervention and counseling services in English and Spanish, and have access to interpreter support in most other languages.
Evidence-Based
We use established techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and dialectical behavior therapy-informed treatment, to stabilize the youth and strengthen caregiver-child relationships. Therapists are also trained in Attachment Based Family Therapy.
We offer a broad range of services including:
Crisis intervention
We speak with family members in person or by phone to de-escalate the crisis as quickly as possible.
Individual and family counseling services
We meet with youths and caregivers individually to get to the source of the problem. In family sessions, we help everyone feel heard for productive conversations that resolve conflicts.
Parenting skills
We provide information about child development and mood management to help parents understand what their child is experiencing. We also teach communication techniques that help strengthen family bonds.
Advocacy #
We can work with schools to address the student’s social-emotional needs. . We can attend school meetings including for 504 Plan or IEP development
Connection to community support services
We connect family members as needed to long-term mental health providers, support groups, extra-curricular activities and community centers. We alsohelp families access resources for basic needs. When necessary, we connect families with resources that provide financial assistance, such as for rent or utilities, .
Ongoing support
We help families maintain long-term stability by checking in 30 days after discharge. . Families are welcome to contact our team by phone for extra support in connecting with long-term services. If families fall back into crisis, we work with local agencies to help re-establish their stability.
Accessing Care and Connection for Families
Our services are available at no cost to families of children between 4/5 and 19 years old. Families must be residents of Montgomery County.
Families must be referred by the Montgomery County Crisis Center or Local Behavioral Health Authority to access services.