Florence Crittenton Home & Services

Florence Crittenton will change lives. Florence Crittenton benefits several layers of our communities over time.

IMMEDIATE BENEFITS
- Parents participating in our programs benefit from therapeutic support, education coordination, a stable living environment, access to appropriate healthcare, and parenting education and support.
- Infants and toddlers gain a stable living environment, proper nutrition, access to basic and specialized healthcare, the ability to bond with their mother and a positive and loving environment, developmentally appropriate education opportunity; all creating an environment in a child's brain that is ripe for growth and development.
- Our Communities: due to a stabilized environment with necessary supports, these families will be less likely to have their children prematurely, saving thousands of dollars in healthcare and special education costs. In addition, children will be monitored closely and any developmental concerns will be addressed immediately, saving hundreds of dollars through early intervention.

MID- & LONG-TERM BENEFITS
- Parents: with proper supports at a critical point in their life paths, these parents are better equipped to make decisions for their family. They are far more likely to graduate from high school, continue on with their education and job skills training, continue in substance use recovery, avoid recidivism, and be able to continue a stable living environment for their families. We quite often see these young parents' success upon our discharge become a catalyst for change for their entire families.
- Toddlers and Children: due to a reduced occurrence of removal, or a reunification with their parent(s), the children of these families have a significantly reduced risk of experience Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs). The reduction of ACEs has been proven to significantly reduce physical ailments such as heart disease, diabetes asthma, and more; mental health and behavioral challenges; substance use and criminal activity in adult life. The lack of ACEs can improve success early on in preschool and grade school, less likelihood to drop out of school, and the overall the trajectory of each child's life.
- Community: increased stability and productivity in parents can have an astounding effect on the community in which they live. A parent that is able to work more consistently with a solid skill set is going to be much more productive in their workplace. Parents with the right supports and parenting skills will also be more engaged in the classroom and with their child. Reduced removals and increased re-unifications has an obvious financial benefit to our communities by reducing the amount of money spent on the need to protect children in dangerous situations. Children that are well cared for at home reduce the number of significant healthcare challenges.

Florence Crittenton employs residential, community-based, and early childhood programs that serve at-risk parents and young children, effectively providing a continuum of care depending on the intensity of needs and support of each family.

FCHS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA); licensed by the State of Montana as a Therapeutic Group Home & Maternity Home; is an approved Substance Use treatment provider for the state of Montana; holds childcare licenses and is Level 3 STARS qualified and has preliminary approval as a Mental Health Center. Our interdisciplinary team has roots working at a local and national collaborative level. Our professional staff members are experts in fields of social work, psychology, education, counseling and nursing.

FCHS APPROACH TO SERVING VICTIMS
The need for a framework that addresses a continuum of trauma exposures, including ongoing exposure, is imperative in the service of children and young women. FCHS began implementing the ARC (Attachment, Regulation, and Competency) framework in 2016. ARC is a nationally recognized framework for intervention with youth and families who have experienced complex trauma and stress. FCHS recognizes the trauma history of the victims we serve and each program effectively responds by integrating knowledge the ARC framework into all policies, procedures and practices while seeking to avoid re-traumatization.

Accreditation
Florence Crittenton received expedited accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA) in 2017. COA accreditation provides an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an agency's performance. Our expedited accreditation means there were no deficiencies found in the fundamental practice standards and COA granted accreditation without requests for any improvements. Only 30% of organizations seeking first time accreditation are expedited.