Vancouver Family Preservation & Reunification Services

Family Preservation and Reunification Services

Family Preservation and Reunification is comprised of an array of services accessed by referral from the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).

a) Family Preservation Workers

Family Preservation Workers work individually with families to deliver a range of services primarily in the family home and community. Services will include, but not be limited to:

• Assessment and integrated service planning.
• Services to address concrete needs.
• Individual parent training and education.
• Therapeutic interventions with individual, couples and families.
• Linkages to formal and informal supports.
• Therapeutic Supervised Access

b) Indigenous Family Preservation Workers

This service aims to increase safety and permanency for Indigenous Children; providing support as a preventative measure as well as reunification when the children have been placed out of the home. The service is 6-9 months in duration, with the option of an extension. Our Indigenous Family Preservation Workers are qualified and experienced in working with Indigenous peoples and work collaboratively with the families to provide support and create culturally sensitive goals and activities to assist in reducing risk. Where there is no Indigenous Family Preservation Worker available to directly work with an Indigenous Family, our Indigenous Education Consultant will support the assigned Family Preservation Worker to provide culturally informed and sensitive support.

Who can be referred?

• Families who have children 0-12 years of age involved with MCFD

• Families where there is a risk of out of home placement of children

• Children needing to be reunited with their families

• Families experiencing the following challenges affecting children:

• A need for parenting skills
• Family violence, physical and/or emotional abuse, and neglect.
• Alcohol or substance abuse issues
• Mental health challenges
• Special needs presented by chronic and acute illness.
• Housing stability
• Connection to community resources

C)   Resource Worker

We have a dedicated Resource Worker who supports the Family Preservation Team with the understanding that before families can address underlying issues such as Parenting, Communication and relationships concerns regarding their basic needs must be met.

Components of the Service Include

• Providing or working with the family to obtain
• Emergency food supplies
• Basic Personal and Household necessities
• Emergency Income assistance
• Emergency shelter or housing
• Access to reliable and affordable child care

Find Referral form here

Associated Services

1. Supervised Visitation and Access Program

Our dedicated Supervised Access Team provides Supervised Access Visitation for families where there is no plan for reunification, we also provide Connections and Therapeutic Access to families where reunification is the plan.

Supervised Access Visitation

• to support the relationship maintenance between children and their non-residential parents and caregivers through contact visits provided by a Supervised Access Visitation Support Worker) 
• Ensure that the contact visit is safe and follows all the visitation parameters and guidelines that support and promote the relationship maintenance. 
• Intervene and redirect the non-residential parents and caregivers’ behaviour if the visitation parameters and guidelines are not followed and/or end the contact visit if necessary; and 
• Document the contact visit between children and their non-residential parents and caregivers, identifying objectively the response of children towards their non-residential parents and caregivers and the response of the non-residential parents and caregivers towards their children, which would serve to support the further requirement for Supervised Access Visitation Services or not. 

Connection & Therapeutic Access

In addition to the above this service provides

• Provides coaching, modeling, and education in order to assist parents to strengthen their parenting knowledge and abilities, learn healthy communication skills, understand and meet their children’s needs, strengthen their relationship with their children, and understand the reasons why visitation requires supervision.  
• Supports and promotes relationship maintenance and expansion between the child and parent. 

Find the referral form here – QR Code?

Supervised Access Service Delivery Flow Chart

Social worker completes updated referral form (South referrals set to FSGV and North referrals to WFC)  and social worker notifies parent and caregiver that WFC will connect to set up visits.

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SVA team will acknowledge receipt, read information and ask for clarity if there is anything that isn’t clear. SVA Co Ordinator will connect with caregiver and parents to arrange supervised access and set up visit schedule.

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SVA Co Ordinator will notify Social worker of the visit schedule and transportation arrangements and confirm with all parties

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If there is possibility of reunification and an FC is attached the file will automatically be placed in the Connections and Therapeutic Access Stream. In this case after the initial visit the FC and parent will determine the goals for service and provide these to social worker for approval. Once approved these will be incorporated into the CTA reporting and visits.

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Any changes to visit schedule will be coordinated through the SVA team and social worker will be notified.

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Social worker’s approval will be required for any changes to visit which are not approved in the initial referral form.

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Succinct, concise reports will be provided and sent to the social worker via the FC where there is one.

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The social worker will determine whether the frequency of visits or supervision level is to be changed. They will also determine when supervised access is no longer required.

Home Support Program

Our Home Support Program is a short-term wraparound service which offers skill-based training focusing on home management and basic parenting skills to families where the home environment poses a child protection risk.

The Home Support Worker will provide 12-20 hours of direct service to help assist families in strategies to declutter, organise and maintain their home environment to a standard necessary for parenting their children.

Referrals can be made by Family Preservation Workers or by MCFD

Crisis Response Program

Our Crisis Response Program is a time-sensitive short-term service with the primary goal to prevent child(ren) from entering Ministry care.  This service works directly with the family to address the immediate and pressing risk factors in the family and within the home environment over a two-week period or until another service is available.  The Service will provide a maximum of 30 hours direct service over a 2 week period.

Service Delivery

• We have a dedicated worker who holds the Crisis response referrals.
• A meeting will be held with the family, social worker and/or FC to explain the service and set goals.
• The service has been expanded to include families that already have a Family Preservation worker but are in an immediate Crisis which without this service could result in their children being removed from the family home.
• The service will provide a max of 2-3 direct hours per day for 3-5 days per week over a 2-week period
• The Crisis Support Worker works directly with families to address the immediate and pressing risk factors in the family and within the home environment over a two-week period or until another service is available.

Find the referral here

Group Based Parent Training and Education or Specialized Therapeutic Groups

WFC offer a range of groups that are defined as either psycho educational or therapeutic.

Parent education groups focus on building parenting skills and strategies for parents or caregivers experiencing challenges in parenting. Training is comprehensive and structured.

Groups are run according to client needs. Group brochures or information are available on a quarterly basis.

Who can participate?

Groups are open to any parents who have active or recent MCFD involvement.

Family Counsellors or Social Workers can refer directly to the groups by contacting the Group Facilitators.

If you have suggestions for upcoming groups, please email jill.summerwill@westcoastfamilies.org

Indigenous Education Consultant

Our Indigenous Education Consultant supports our Family Preservation Workers working with Indigenous Families, this support includes;

• Creating cultural plans for each of our indigenous families, specific to their cultures, beliefs, heritage and practice
• Creating cultural packages for families based on the cultural plans.
• Runs specific groups and workshops specific to Indigenous families, such as building resilience, self care, accessing services, and caring for indigenous children.
• Helps support families and indigenous persons get status, registration and access Jordan’s principle.
• Run culturally sensitive events for Indigenous families which aim to reduce barriers preventing them from accessing services.

Co Parenting Support (Formerly FLA)

The Co-Parenting Support Program will help families where there is active MCFD involvement in tandem with Family Preservation Services to help families navigate temporary and permanent separations. Additionally, depending on program capacity and availability, support may be provided to families for which MCFD intend to close their file due to no active protection concerns being present.

The worker will help families develop an understanding of British Columbia Basics of Family Law, Child Support Guidelines for British Columbia, resources relating to Family Justice and the Family Law Act. Through groupwork and Psychoeducational Services to individuals, couples and, families will be provided information and strategies on a number of issues including but not limited to:

• Successful Co Parenting
• My Family is Changing – individual or group support for Children
• The impact of changes in family structure on children
• Avoiding common parenting mistakes
• Communication and conflict resolution strategies
• Making Shared Parenting work
• Parallel parenting strategies
• Designing a parenting plan
• Financial fairness
• Navigating new relationships

Referrals

Referrals will be made by Social workers or Family Preservation workers initially on an 8 -12 week basis and can be extended to a maximum of 6 months (for families with continued MCFD involvement).

Priority will be given to families with current child protection or criminal involvement who have no access to legal services or Family Justice Counsellors

Reporting

At the start of service a case plan will be developed containing the goals of the service.

An involvement report providing a summary of the work and progress in achieving the goals will be provided at the conclusion of service.  If a file will be extended beyond the 12 week period, an additional progress report will be completed at the time of extension approval.

Clinical Counselling and Play Therapy

West Coast Child Care Resource Centre

Referral Forms