Action called ‘game changer’ for families in crisis
“A Sarasota mother once watched her 9-year-old son cycle through repeated hospitalizations after mental health crises. Each time he came home, the family felt more overwhelmed and at risk of falling apart. Stories like hers are all too common — and they highlight the urgent need for more intensive, family-centered support,” The Florida Center for Early Childhood has pointed out in a news release.
“Now, thanks to a $500,000 partnership” among The Florida Center for Early Childhood, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network (CFBHN), families like hers can access the Family Support Team (FST) designed to prevent repeated crises, keep children safe, and the risk of foster care or other out-of-home placements,” the release says.
“The Family Support Team is made up of specialists hired and trained by The Florida Center to work intensively with families to bring services to them in their homes, in the community, or wherever is most convenient,” the release explains. “Their role is to bring everyone connected to the child — parents, schools, doctors, counselors, and community supports — into one coordinated plan,” it continues. “By reducing stress and building stability, the team helps families stay together,” the release notes.
“This program is a breakthrough for families in crisis,” said Dr. Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center, in the release. “Once the funding came through, we moved quickly to hire staff, complete training, and begin accepting referrals. Acting swiftly meant families could start receiving the support they urgently needed without delay,” Skoglund pointed out in the release.
The “Family Support Team uses High Fidelity Wraparound, an evidence-based approach that brings all parts of a child’s life together” — home, school, health care and community — “into one comprehensive plan,” the release explains.
“Unlike traditional services that focus only on the child, this model supports the entire family to reduce crises, strengthen relationships, and build lasting stability,” Skoglund said in the release, “adding that families typically take part for three to 12 months, depending on their needs and progress.
“Referrals come from partner agencies,” including the crisis stabilization unit at Cornell Behavioral Health Pavillion, the Sarasota County School District, Community Action Treatment (CAT) teams, NAMI, and other behavioral health entities in the community, the release continues. The program serves children from birth through fifth grade “who are returning from or experiencing a mental health crisis, are at risk of foster care or other out-of-home placement, or have been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder,” the release points out. “Many of these children also struggle with behaviors that disrupt home, school, or community life, or are involved with multiple systems such as child welfare, juvenile justice, or school interventions that require intensive, coordinated support,” the release adds.
“Family Support Teams are part of a broader Florida DCF initiative, but The Florida Center is the only agency in Sarasota County offering this level of intensive, in-home support exclusively for young children and their families,” the release notes.
“What makes this program a game changer is that our team goes directly into the home and surrounds the entire family with support,” said Skoglund in the release. “Families no longer have to navigate a maze of disconnected services. We bring everyone together around one plan. That approach is new for Sarasota County, and it has the power to keep children safe, strengthen families, and change lives,” she added.
For more than 45 years,” the release explains, “The Florida Center for Early Childhood has been the leading provider of therapeutic services, early education and healthy development for young children in Southwest Florida, “offering a seamless delivery of services for the whole child and their family,” the release explains. For more information, visit TheFloridaCenter.org.