BETHANY FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES

Bethany provides individual, family, group, and play therapy for children, adolescents, and teenagers with emotional and/or behavioral challenges, as well as counseling for adults to help identify and explore the emotions and barriers present from life-changing events.

Bethany for Children & Families employs professional therapists who provide counseling and therapy services within Iowa schools and during school hours for children and adolescents with emotional or behavioral challenges. Bethany therapists can help youth gain effective coping skills, explore positive ways to express their frustration and anger, and help identify life stressors that can impact their emotional well-being.

Bethany's licensed therapists treat a variety of issues, including:

Depression
Self-harm
School-related issues such as peer problems and bullying
Anxiety
Relationship problems
Grief and loss
Grief and loss
Adjustment disorders
Childhood/adolescent disorders

The Therapeutic Recreation Program (TRP) is an after-school program designed for troubled youth between the ages of eight to 17. The program examines use of leisure and recreational activities in a constructive way and provides anger management training with an emphasis on developing positive social relationships.

TRP is one of a continuum of programs provided by Bethany for Children & Families. The program has served children in the Blackhawk Area Special Education district and Illinois Quad Cities for more than 25 years.

TRP provides a safe and nurturing recreational and learning environment in which staff members challenge troubled youth to replace problematic behaviors with appropriate social skills. Increased emotional and social competency allows them to succeed not only in their educational settings, but also at home and in the community.

Bethany for Children & Families is a licensed adoption agency in Iowa and Illinois. Bethany provides domestic, international and special needs adoption services (recruitment, screening, licensing, placement, and case management) to people within the agency's service area who choose to adopt an infant. The agency also provides counseling and support to birth mothers and fathers who choose to place a child for adoption. Post-adoptive services are available for adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents.

Direct Family Interventions provides in-home services to families in Rock Island and Mercer counties in Illinois that have communication or relationship problems.

A Bethany case manager works with the family over a six to nine month period, teaching the basic skills necessary to properly parent and/or supervise children.

Families are given various community resources to increase appropriate, safe, family function and reduce or eliminate future charges of neglect or abuse, or police contacts.

Foster care services provided by Bethany for Children & Families (licensed and contracted by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services) are supported 24 hours a day by experienced case managers and master's-level supervisors. Training is required for foster parents at all levels of care, as well as annual continuing education to enhance their skills.

Foster care is temporary care. The goal is to reunite the child with their birth parents or relatives whenever possible. Matching the needs of each child to the special strengths of each foster family is another major consideration. When locating a foster care placement, the child's home community is first considered so the child may attend the same school. Permanency is achieved through Return Home, Adoption, Guardianship, or Independence. The length of time a child will be placed in a foster home will vary for each situation, but the goal is for a child to be in foster care as short a time as possible.

The Independent Living Opportunities (ILO) program is structured to provide a supervised independent living environment that allows youth to master the skills necessary to live successfully as a contributing member of the community. Participants in this program are designated youth who are preparing for emancipation from the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services.

ILO clients are independent and capable of living on their own in an apartment located in the community. While they are responsible for themselves in all areas of life, they receive support, guidance, and direction from Bethany case management staff as needed or requested. Since all youth are living in their own apartments, natural consequences (i.e. community laws) are applicable. Because of this, there is a Bethany for Children & Families staff member on call 24 hours a day if the youth is in need of assistance.

The Intact Family Services program assists parents involved with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services due to child abuse or neglect. Bethany case managers provide intensive, comprehensive family services to families in Rock Island, Mercer, and Henry counties in Illinois in order to prevent family separation and/or placement of the children into foster care. Intact Family Services works with parents and children to set and meet goals while teaching families to adjust the behaviors that put the children in danger of being place into foster care.

Bethany for Children & Families provides supervised visitation services to assist separated or divorced parents with child visitation. A Bethany case manager provides a safe and neutral setting for the visit to occur, while monitoring the interactions between the child and his/her non-custodial parent. Details of the visit are documented by the case manager.

Bethany's Housing for Chronically Homeless Families program serves families in the Quad Cities who have experienced homelessness four times in the past three years. The program is based on the Housing First model. The top priority is stabilizing housing for the family so that other factors that contribute to homelessness may be addressed.

The Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth (THY) program provides comprehensive services that address the most pressing needs homeless youth have: a safe, stable home; income adequate to meeting their most basic needs; and assistance and direction in overcoming the problems that interfere with their ability to live independently. The program encourages self-sufficiency by giving young people opportunities to exercise leadership and responsibility, build skills, and get involved in their communities.

A Bethany case manager assists client-youth to identify problems and work out solutions in the community and within the local judicial systems. The case manager also follows-up on all recommended treatment services with an emphasis on mental health, counseling, aftercare, chemical dependency, and medication monitoring.

Bethany for Children & Families offers an array of education services to youth, parents, and the community that are designed to help youth self-esteem, strengthen communication skills, and develop responsible decision-making skills in an effort to prevent or reduce risky behaviors and to meet the many challenges that youth face today. Some of the programs offered may be a one-time presentation, a week-long class, or a year-long program.

The Bethany for Children & Families Give Kids a Smile Dental Program provides preventative and restorative care to children who do not have access to oral health care.

The Give Kids a Smile Dental Program is a community program aimed to increase access to dental care to underserved, low-income children. This program is endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the ADA Foundation and is coordinated locally by the Give Kids a Smile Board of Advisors. It is one of the many community services programs provided by Bethany for Children & Families.

Services are available to children ages three to 17 who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, who have never been to a dentist, who do not have dental insurance, or who have Medicaid but cannot find a provider who accepts that type of insurance.

The Give Kids a Smile Dental Program takes place on a dental bus that travels directly to schools in Rock Island, Scott, and Clinton Counties. Licensed dental staff members provide exams in the mobile clinic. An additional 94 general dentists and specialists provide follow-up care in their offices.