Our Model of Care
As we often say, “The best way to restore balance in life is to treat life itself.” That’s why in our Connections Program the focus is on supporting and teaching our clients how to live functionally independent lives at home within their family and community. Our process directly acknowledges the environment in which our client exists and the people who affect their lives .
Community & Family Integrative Treatment (C-FIT)
Our Model of Care was specifically designed to allow our clients to live functionally within their given communities. For certain individuals, traditional weekly therapy may not be enough while alternatively sending them to a residential program (e.g. boarding school, therapeutic boarding school, wilderness program, adult transition program, psychiatric hospital, intensive outpatient program) is separating them from their family and the community in which they will ultimately have to function. We believe in an integrative approach, where we support and teach our clients how to use their community to build a healthy social network in which they can live a healthy and functional life. To do so, we employ a combination of traditional therapy, family therapy, case management, care coordination, social integration and physical wellness.
Our Goal: Functional Independence
Clients come to us for a variety of reasons, but most to some degree are struggling to adapt to their environment at home and in the community. They may be unable to meet the daily expectations for their age and stage of life (attending school/work, personal hygiene, emotional regulation, social integration). They may be a disruptive presence in school or at the workplace. Some in their early twenties and beyond may be failing to launch into an independent adulthood or struggling with any of a variety of other issues. Our goal is to work as a team with the family to achieve functional independence for our clients: the ability to participate effectively in their day-to-day life and meet daily expectations, both emotionally and operationally.
How it Works
We begin the process meeting with and understanding the client — and in most cases the client’s family — and then our administrative staff determines the therapist who best fits the needs of the client, from both symptomatic and personality perspectives. From there, we go on to develop a customized program and then to implementation, monitoring and feedback.
Goodness Of Fit
Based upon the initial sessions with the admissions team, we determine goodness-of-fit between the client and our therapists and staff members. We carefully select a therapist and a care-coordinator who will then begin working with the client. At this point, they develop an initial diagnosis, taking into account any pervious diagnoses which may have been determined by third party providers.
Initial Assessment
When a client enters our program, they first meet with our admissions team. Through discussions with the client and, in some cases, others who affect the community/system in which they live, our admissions team comes up with an initial assessment and diagnosis.
Team Input
The therapist and care coordinator then meet with our team of therapists to discuss the diagnosis and the plan. Input is provided by our team members and minor modifications may be suggested prior to plan approval.
Assessment/
Modification
After a period of time (usually about 90 days) the care coordinator meets with the family and other team members to assess the program’s progress. If the individual is stabilizing within their system/environment, we would usually recommend cutting back on the frequency of scheduled program activities. The customized program can expand and contract based upon the individual’s progress and/or obstacles, challenges or opportunities presenting themselves.
Meet And Greet With Connections Team
Upon plan approval, the client’s individual therapist will lead a meet and greet with the individual, the family and all the members of the team including the connections coach(es), the family therapist, the care coordinator and the physical trainer.
Program Customization
The therapist and care coordinator will work with the family and the individual to develop a customized plan of support. This will include weekly or twice-weekly sessions with the individual therapist, weekly sessions with a family therapist, several sessions per week with a Connections Coach and work with a personal trainer.
Implementation/
Monitoring
As the customized program is being implemented, the Therapist/Care Coordinator is frequently connecting with the therapist, connections coach(es) and trainer to assure the plan is being executed effectively. Additionally, each week, the Therapist/Care Coordinator meets with our clinical team to review the client’s progress, solicit input and make suggested modifications, if necessary.
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Goodness Of Fit
Based upon the initial sessions with the admissions team, we determine goodness-of-fit between the client and our therapists and staff members. We carefully select a therapist and a care-coordinator who will then begin working with the client. At this point, they develop an initial diagnosis, taking into account any pervious diagnoses which may have been determined by third party providers.
-
Initial Assessment
When a client enters our program, they first meet with our admissions team. Through discussions with the client and, in some cases, others who affect the community/system in which they live, our admissions team comes up with an initial assessment and diagnosis.
-
Team Input
The therapist and care coordinator then meet with our team of therapists to discuss the diagnosis and the plan. Input is provided by our team members and minor modifications may be suggested prior to plan approval.
-
Assessment/
ModificationAfter a period of time (usually about 90 days) the care coordinator meets with the family and other team members to assess the program’s progress. If the individual is stabilizing within their system/environment, we would usually recommend cutting back on the frequency of scheduled program activities. The customized program can expand and contract based upon the individual’s progress and/or obstacles, challenges or opportunities presenting themselves.
-
Meet And Greet With Connections Team
Upon plan approval, the client’s individual therapist will lead a meet and greet with the individual, the family and all the members of the team including the connections coach(es), the family therapist, the care coordinator and the physical trainer.
-
Program Customization
The therapist and care coordinator will work with the family and the individual to develop a customized plan of support. This will include weekly or twice-weekly sessions with the individual therapist, weekly sessions with a family therapist, several sessions per week with a Connections Coach and work with a personal trainer.
-
Implementation/
MonitoringAs the customized program is being implemented, the Therapist/Care Coordinator is frequently connecting with the therapist, connections coach(es) and trainer to assure the plan is being executed effectively. Additionally, each week, the Therapist/Care Coordinator meets with our clinical team to review the client’s progress, solicit input and make suggested modifications, if necessary.
1. Initial Assessment
When a client enters our program, they first meet with our admissions team. Through discussions with the client and, in some cases, others who affect the community/system in which they live, our admissions team comes up with an initial assessment and diagnosis.
2. Goodness of Fit
Based upon the initial sessions with the admissions team, we determine goodness-of-fit between the client and our therapists and staff members. We carefully select a therapist and a care-coordinator who will then begin working with the client. At this point, they develop an initial diagnosis, taking into account any pervious diagnoses which may have been determined by third party providers.
3. Program Customization
The therapist and care coordinator will work with the family and the individual to develop a customized plan of support. This will include weekly or twice-weekly sessions with the individual therapist, weekly sessions with a family therapist, several sessions per week with a Connections Coach and work with a personal trainer.
4. Team Input
The therapist and care coordinator then meet with our team of therapists to discuss the diagnosis and the plan. Input is provided by our team members and minor modifications may be suggested prior to plan approval.
5. Meet And Greet With Connections Team
Upon plan approval, the client’s individual therapist will lead a meet and greet with the individual, the family and all the members of the team including the connections coach(es), the family therapist, the care coordinator and the physical trainer.
6. Implementation/ Monitoring
As the customized program is being implemented, the Therapist/Care Coordinator is frequently connecting with the therapist, connections coach(es) and trainer to assure the plan is being executed effectively. Additionally, each week, the Therapist/Care Coordinator meets with our clinical team to review the client’s progress, solicit input and make suggested modifications, if necessary.
7. Assessment/ Modification
After a period of time (usually about 90 days) the care coordinator meets with the family and other team members to assess the program’s progress. If the individual is stabilizing within their system/environment, we would usually recommend cutting back on the frequency of scheduled program activities. The customized program can expand and contract based upon the individual’s progress and/or obstacles, challenges or opportunities presenting themselves.
This model is a structured approach which can be applied to almost all types of commonly-seen conditions and its iterative nature allows each phase to learn from and build upon the previous phase. We have found that this structured approach allows us to develop programs that are creative and unique to each client.
Client Stories
Our Connections Program has a definite structure, but this structure gives us the freedom to creatively address a variety of clients with a variety of issues. As you can see in the client stories below, we treat each client as a unique individual and the programs we design to address their issues are customized to meet their individual needs. Click on one of the links below to see actual programs and schedules for different types of individuals:
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Kelsey, 6-Year-Old with Behavioral Issues »
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Erik, a 10-Year-Old on the Spectrum »
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Scott, 15-Year-Old Transitioning Back After Wilderness Program »
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Christie, a 17-Year-Old Boarding School Student Demonstrating Self-Harming Behavior »
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Angela, an 18-Year-Old College Student Suffering from ADHD »
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Paige, a 19-Year-Old Struggling to Find Direction »
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Derek, 25-Year-Old Failing to Launch »
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Mike, a 35-Year-Old with Autism »