Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 14, 1990 TAG: 9006150613
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The money will be used to hire a "therapeutic family" that will give foster care and supervision to a single child who has spent years in state facilities.
The idea behind the program is to give the child essentially the same mental-health care offered in a state hospital, while at the same time helping ease the child back into the community.
"It's really a big step forward for the valley," Melissa Hays-Smith said. "Nobody has ever done it before."
Hays-Smith is director of youth mental-health programs for Mental Health Services of Roanoke Valley.
Roanoke City Department of Social Services will be the lead agency in the program. Mental Health Services and Roanoke City Schools will also participate.
The family will be paid a salary of $29,200 a year to provide guidance and counseling. Also, the family will give instruction in simple activities of daily living that a child who has grown up in state institutions has never had a chance to learn.
The adults in the family do not have to have degrees in counseling, but having some work experience or educational background with emotionally disturbed children will work in their favor, Hays-Smith said.
The adults must have experience as parents, and one of them must not have a job outside the home.
A mental-health worker will give supervision and advice to the family, make frequent home visits and be on call 24 hours a day. Another family will be hired to provide respite care to give the therapeutic family a break at least one weekend a month.
The money comes from a state fund set up to encourage cooperation among agencies that work with children, including welfare, education, mental health and corrections departments.
Local "prescription teams," with representatives from these agencies, meet to decide the treatment plans for troubled youngsters.
Any family that would like to apply to become a therapeutic family can contact Carolyn Doyle at the city Department of Social Services. Her telephone number is 981-2408.
by CNB