CHRISTIANS AS FAMILY ADVOCATES

SFFC is a nationally recognized network with chapters in forty states in the U.S. and six other countries; CAFA administers Lane County’s chapter. The program utilizes certified and specially trained volunteers to provide host family respite care for children whose families are experiencing a temporary emergency and a network of support to help family resolve crisis and remain intact. SFFC utilizes the five key protective factors in the prevention of child abuse and neglect to reach families before their situations comes to the point that Child Protective Services must get involved.

Kids Connecting provides non-custodial parents opportunities to connect with their children while CAFA seeks to ensure the safety of all those involved. Unlike other supervised visitation programs, CAFA requires noncustodial parents to attend parenting classes that teach parenting skills and play therapy prior to the beginning of visitations. These skills ensure that the parent is better equipped to maintain strong, lasting relationships with their children, significantly decreasing the likelihood that the parent will cause future trauma.

PAC is a 15-week trauma-informed parenting class where parents learn to be therapeutic agents with their own children through a format of didactic instruction, demonstration, play sessions, skills training, and practice play sessions. Parents may be mandated by DHS to complete this course to regain or maintain custody of their children or parents may elect to sign up for their own.

TIPS is a brain-research-based parenting class provided for clients of CAFA and the general public. Classes are offered in many locations throughout Lane County, including an online streamed version accessible remotely. The 10-week course teaches skills for building life-long relationships. The tools learned can be applied to interactions with children, partners, coworkers, or anyone the participant may have contact with. Core concepts include emotional intelligence, collaborative problem solving (CPS), the brain, trauma, empathy, and connecting through play.

Creative Connections compliments CAFA’s therapeutic services and builds social skills, emotional intelligence, empathy, and conflict management through the medium of arts and creativity. Parents, children, seniors, mothers, and parent/child dyad groups participate in therapeutic art activities designed to enhance awareness of self and others leading to successful relationships and more joyful living. This program is especially helpful for clients struggling with anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling Services are available to anyone in the community but is especially focused on providing access to therapeutic services for people who have trouble accessing care elsewhere, including OHP-insured, legally involved, and court-mandated clients.

Neurofeedback is a state-of-the-art, therapeutic training tool for the brain using EEG biofeedback. A certified Neurofeedback professional provides the necessary instruction and interpretation to encourage the brain to function in the desired frequency patterns. When this happens, symptoms may be greatly decreased or eliminated. Conditions most often treated are migraines, PTSD, anxiety, focus, sleep disorders, substance abuse, bedwetting, nightmares, attention deficits and other disruptive behaviors.