SAINT FRANCIS MINISTRIES, INC

This program recruits, trains and supports licensed foster families for this service in order to provide the least restrictive out of home placement for children and youth in state custody. Saint Francis actively recruits families to provide various levels of foster care service to children birth through age 18, plus respite, emergency care and adoption. Prospective foster families receive 30 hours of pre-service training in addition to assistance with the decision-making a licensure process. Foster Care Homes staff provide processional support, ongoing training and support groups, crisis intervention, and other services for each foster family.

Therapeutic foster care is a family based program whose overall purpose is to improve the mental health status, emotional and social adjustment of youth requiring out of home placement, particularly youth who display criminal behaviors. Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training and intervention tools, which have been successful for youth with criminogenic characteristics, the purpose of the placement is to improve and teach the youth decision making skills, coping skills, social skills and to address any underlying problems which are negatively affecting the youth's ability to live successfully with their family or in the community. The program serves youth ages 10 to 18 with optimum length of placement being a minimum of 6 months.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS - Available to assess intellectual disabilities, school achievement, functional assessments, and mental health concerns. Parenting assessments can be a component within a psychological assessment. If requested, behavioral observation of parent interaction with children are available. Services are provided in Salina and Kansas City, but referrals are accepted from anyone willing to commute. SUBSTANCE USE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT - An outpatient program designed for adolescents and adults who are identified as having or possible having an alcohol/drug use history. Adolescent and adult out-patient treatment programs offer level one treatment services; providing substance use assessment and outpatient treatment including crisis management, individual, group and family counseling. Adolescents are aided in the development of lifestyle habits that promote abstinence and recovery, while incorporating the family unit into the treatment process of each individual client. Adults focus on how substance use has affected their life and what their needs are to live a healthy lifestyle. An additional service is the Amazing Alternatives, Heart and Choice Programs that focuses on educating adolescents age 12 and younger. DUI Assessments and SBIRT services are available. Some locations provide Intensive Outpatient Services for teams . SUBSTANCE USE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT INCLUDING INTENSIVE TREATMENT - Provide the District Court of Saline County services for the families with truant children. Saint Francis acts as a referral source for the families willing to participate. Each year, approximately 200 truancy cases are brought before the Court. Referral sources include referrals to the Brach Grant, Family Preservation, CAPS and other community resources.

Community Outreach Programs serve at risk youth with an array of prevention and treatment services. Our focus is identifying at-risk youth and/or families and helping to prevent out-of-home placement for children.
Community Outreach offers the following services/programs:

Fatherhood FIRE: Saint Francis received a five-year federal grant from the Administration of Children and Families to deliver Fatherhood Family-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential programming. Saint Francis Fatherhood FIRE is an expansion of parenting courses previously delivered only in Kansas, which will now also serve fathers, partners, couples, and co-parents in Nebraska and Texas. Parents who enroll in the program will receive 36 hours of instruction in core workshops that promote healthy relationships, responsible parenting, and economic stability, including courses from the National Fatherhood Initiative (24/7 Dad®, Inside Out Dad®, or Understanding Dad™) among others (The Parent Project®, Personal Professional Development, Nurturing Fathers, Love Notes, and Why Knot). Saint Francis has partnered with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare as our local third-party evaluator.

KidzKamp: Each year, Saint Francis hosts a three-day summer camp open to children in foster care who are ages 8-12. KidzKamp creates a safe, happy and dynamic space where kids in foster care can share a fundamentally fun summer experience with others who know what they are going through. Each summer has a different theme and includes activities like swimming, crafts, games, ziplining, paddle boating, singing and dancing, and a talent show on the final day. Kids from all across the state of Kansas attend this event every year, with Saint Francis staff and volunteers coming from several locations to act as camp counselors. All of a child's needs are provided for while they are at camp, including pillows and blankets, cafeteria-style meals, hygiene and first aid items.

Truancy Court: Saint Francis works with the District Court of Saline County to provide services for families with truant children. We act as a referral source for families willing to participate and offer case management to help children and teens to get the help, support, and guidance they need to be successful in school.

Maintaining family ties is extremely important for all children and families. When children are removed from their birth family homes and placed in out of home care, placement with relatives or kin should be given first priority. It is in the best interest of children to be placed with relatives or kin who care provide healthy and safe homes. Kin is defined as any family member or person who has a significant relations the child or the child's family. Kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives, members of their tribes or class, godparents, or any adult who has a kinship bond with a child.

RFCA provides comprehensive case management/permanency services to children and families. Local DCF offices refer children in need of out-of-home placement. Each child and family's situation and needs are immediately assessed. Children are placed in the least restrictive environment possible while maintaining connections with family, kin, school and home community. Efforts are made to engage both mothers and fathers. Staff members work with birth parents to strengthen parenting skills, improve home conditions, and identify and access community based services to achieve reunification. Most children are reunited with their birth families; however, those who cannot be reintegrated move on to adoption, permanent custodianship or independent living. Saint Francis provides adoption services for children in out of home care with permanency goals of adoption. Children become legally free for adoption through relinquishment or termination of parental rights through the courts. Saint Francis staff prepares children for adoption; identify/recruit adoptive resources for children; complete adoption family assessments; and support the adoptive parent and child through legal finalization and aftercare. Regional Youth Advisory Council (RYAC)/Kansas Youth Advisory Council (KYAC): These councils allow youth who are in the custody of the state to discuss and recommend changes in the Kansas foster care system. Youth participating on advisory councils receive guided choice and decision-making feedback while learning about diversity, leadership, and social skills in a structured meeting format.

SALINA WEST PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY (PRTF) - Treatment services for youth ages 6-18 who have a profile of mental health illness and chronic behavior problems placing themselves or others in danger of being harmed. The program includes services and staff equipped to treat seriously disturbed youth who might also have additional problems with sexual abuse and substance use/abuse. Treatment is daily and intense with a trauma infused approach including individual, group, and family therapy; activity therapy, art therapy, social skills, managing of emotions, skill building and psychiatric medication and evaluations. Youth who have stabilized emotionally are transitioned to a community based environment which includes their family, or in the case of custody youth, a foster, independent living or group home. SALINA WEST YOUTH RESIDENTIAL CENTER (YRC II) - A residential living environment for youth ages 12-18 whom require a structured daily living routine. Individualized care plans are created for each client that include goals, objectives, and services that are designed to encourage progress during the client's stay. A variety of different services are provided through outpatient and in-house services including but different services are provided through outpatient and in-house services including but not limited to, substance use treatment, individual and group therapy sessions, family therapy, case management services, psychiatric evaluations, medication management services, individual counseling, social work services, education services, independent/basic living skills groups, and various psycho-social groups designed to meet the youth's individualized needs and promote an overall balanced and healthy living environment. CLOVER HOUSE - A residential program that is designed to support the restoration of minor survivors of sexual exploitation/human trafficking. It is one of only a handful of similar programs in the nation, and is unique in its approach to supporting survivors. Based on evidence and research around vulnerabilities, protective factors and resiliency, Clover House provides the resources necessary for youth to move from hurt to healing to wholeness. An Episcopal priest lives in-home with the girls four days per week. All of this is further supported by a unique, complex and sophisticated collection of resources, services and opportunities, including equine counseling, yoga, art therapy, gardening therapy and ropes courses. Clover House is designed to provide an intensive individualized approach to supporting a youth's healing journey.

SUPERVISED LIVING SERVICES, SHARED SUPPORTED LIVING SERVICES, SUPPORTED LIVING SERVICES - Provide living services for male and female adults 18 years and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The apartments provide an Independent Living setting that offers opportunities for participation in community recreation and leisure activities, wellness programs, job discovery, supported employment, and development of social skills. Each living service offers a different level of care in order to place each person in the living environment for community involvement and assists with developing independent living skills.