Enhanced Family Services

The Enhanced Family Services Program is designed to provide home and community-based services to individuals who would require residential care or are returning to a community setting from a residential program. All Enhanced Family Services contracts must be approved by the Vermont Department of Mental Health.

Individuals who are deemed eligible may receive a variety of services offered within the Children, Youth and Family Services Program. For example, service packages may include individual and family therapy models which are complemented with community-based services that enhance the treatment experience through supportive counseling. Supportive Counseling helps the youth and their family to develop skills to navigate through daily experiences with the support of skilled staff. Clinical assessments can be requested as means of gaining a clearer understanding into the complexities and diagnosis that individuals and families experience. Overnight and hourly respite service may be considered in the treatment of Enhanced Family Services contracts.

Specific services and supports to the Enhanced Family Services Program may include therapeutic foster care for a period of time, which is designed to maintain parental custody while working though challenges on their way toward reunification.

Our Jumpstart Crisis Response Team offers support and guidance when encountering difficulties at the home and can be accessed around the clock. These wrap-around services provide a full range of mental health services to families who are most in need due to the risk of residential placement for the child. The entire family is involved in the treatment formation to ensure that all of the issues and needs are being considered in planning process. The goal of this treatment is to keep children and youth from entering higher levels of care.  As such, it is more intensive and brings a full complement of wrap-around services together.