Family Mental Health Services

Keeping Families Strong Program

The Keeping Families Strong Program plays the key role of intervening with families with risk factors for having their children removed from the home due to histories of trauma, behavioral, and/or mental health concerns. This program uses the Integrative Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST) and the Family Systems Trauma (FST) models to effectively treat trauma while involving the entire family and their natural support systems.

The I-FAST model is an evidence-based supported family treatment model and follows Treatment focuses on specific symptoms and problems that parents identify as their main concerns. This model utilizes both the agency and clients' strengths and resources and is effective in bringing positive outcomes in families that have children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral problems. -I-FAST

The FST technique is a component of the evidence-based model, Parenting Love & Limits® (PLL) System of Care. According to the PLL logic model, the goal of the FST technique is to use structural and strategic family therapy directives to address the family or individual’s unhealed wounds in the here-and-now from a family systems perspective. Through these techniques, benefits include a reduction in risk factors and increase in protective factors.-FST

The Keeping Families Strong program is funded in part by Ashland County United Way.

Risk Factors

Families with a history of mental illness
Children from low-income households
Low education
Highly stressed or isolated families
Single parent families
Families where there is considerable occupational and/or marital discord
Maternal depression
Substance use disorder
Ineffective communication
Aggressive or hostile behavior
Children whose parents discipline approaches are inconsistent/unpredictable, physically abusive, or critical
Families with one or more children who are at-risk of out-of-home placement

Benefits

Youth are less likely to be removed from the home
The family has an increased positive behavior and mental health
Increased parent involvement
Decreased trauma levels
Increased family functioning
Decrease in criminal recidivism or return to foster care
Fewer days of residential or foster car
Fewer psychiatric and behavioral diagnoses

Recent Updates

June is LGBTQIA Pride Month

It is important to recognize the mental health needs of the LGBTQ+ members of our community. According to NAMI, LGB youth are more than twice as likely to report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness than their heterosexual peers. Transgender youth face are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide compared to cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning youth.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Giving yourself permission to take care of yourself is essential for good mental health care. None of us can burn the candle at both ends and up in a good place. We eventually wear down. When you feel yourself being emotionally tapped out, take time to refuel. This will look different for each of us. For some, getting away with family and friends is reenergizing. For others a weekend of solitude does the trick. However you are wired, make sure you keep a check on your emotional tank and when it is getting empty, take the time to recharge.

Holistic Care

Being mentally healthy requires us to take a holistic approach. As Mr. Miyagi said in the 1st karate kid movie, “our whole life is a balance”. We need to make sure that we are taking care of our mind, body and spirit. We do that through activities and exercises that connect us to those domains of our life. Behavioral Health care is part of our mission at Appleseed.

I can't thank my counselor enough. All of the staff are wonderful and I can not thank them enough either.