Crittenton’s Mental Health Services team is comprised of highly qualified and dedicated mental health professionals that are assigned to coach and provide assistance to the children, youth and families we serve.
We believe that the first step to keeping family well-being at the forefront is to support measures that help families
understand the impact of trauma and help facilitate a healing journey for the entire family. As children and youth initially enter or re-enter the “system” our goal is to help families, whether birth, foster or adoptive learn to cope with the stressors of trauma, mental health or behavioral health issues in a healthy manner.
Our team adheres to trauma-informed and evidence based mental health best practices in order to ensure that all clients are given the opportunity to begin their journey in a way that trauma can be treated holistically. This client-centered approach is at the core of our treatment philosophy. It’s fundamental to our mission that we continue to deliver quality outpatient mental health services while our clients are working through a behavioral health issue, family turmoil, substance use, mental health issues, grief or loss.
Crittenton Services for Children and Families knows that you can never erase the trauma of someone’s past, but with the right blend of interventions and therapy you can dramatically change how that trauma affects their future. Whether we are working with an individual or an entire family we will ensure that all services provided are delivered in a professional and compassionate manner. We thank you for your partnership and are looking forward to help build resiliency in a way that fosters health and well-being.
Intensive Field Capable Clinical Services (IFCCS) is assigned on a referral basis for children and youth in need of more interaction with an intensive mental health program or in need of psychiatric services. The goal of IFCCS is to help identify the child’s strengths and mental health needs in order to prevent hospitalization, decrease involvement with the juvenile justice or child welfare system, or securing a more permanent placement. All IFFCS assigned agencies will meet with referred clients within 24 hours of receiving a referral. Furthermore, the assigned agency will follow the child/youth throughout Los Angeles County to provide intensive mental health services until the mental health goals of the child/youth are met. IFCCS also offers, dependent upon need, the following:
Agency staff will typically include the following:
Case Manager/Care Coordinator – this agency staff member will organize meetings between clients and agency staff, and ensures that the mental health treatment plan is working for all involved. In addition, a Case Manager can also assess strengths, goals, and needs that will help guide the planning and evaluation process of the entire team to ensure that the youth’s mental health needs are met.
Behavioral Support Specialist – works with children and youth to address behavioral challenges and helps with the implementation, evaluation, and progress of a youth’s behavioral support plan.
Parent Partner (as needed) – works with parents or caregivers by supporting any needs they may have, provides linkages to community resources if needed, and is there to empower parent/caregivers during this process.
Therapist – provides individual or family therapy services to address emotional needs.
Psychiatrist (as needed) – is a medical professional who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. If this additional medical resource is approved psychiatric services can include a formal diagnosis of mental health issues, psychological testing, and the psychiatrist will also work with the youth and family/caregiver to develop and implement a treatment plan.
Among the reasons why IFCCS is helpful includes the following:
Expect for the experience to be customized to meet underlying needs, and all services are culturally and linguistically humble to meet the needs of all family members involved. The main goal of IFCCS is to incorporate a blend of needed resources into each youth or family treatment plan to ensure long-term success and permanency is achieved.
Wraparound Services is assigned on a referral basis and brings together a team of people to work with families in need of a more comprehensive approach to family mental health needs. Our Wraparound Services Program is known for its strength-based team approach in order to help meet the identified and underlying needs of the children and families we serve. The goal is to strengthen the relationship between family members and their community by creating plans that include both formal and informal supports to best facilitate health and well-being. We are also committed to building resiliency in order to empower every family member reach their own sense of advocacy as they navigate through their everyday life, their school environments or places of employment.
Typical Wraparound teams will include the designated agency staff you are assigned to work with during this process as well as other relatives, friends, neighbors if you choose to. Among the agency staff you will be working with include the following:
Facilitator – this agency staff member will organize meetings between clients and agency staff, and ensures the family plan is working for all involved. In addition, a Facilitator will also assess the family’s strengths, goals, and needs that will help guide the creation of the family’s safety and crisis plan.
Child and Family Specialist – works with the children and youth of the family to help improve and redirect disruptive behaviors, and support positive life changes and choices.
Parent Partner – works with parents or caregivers by supporting any needs they may have, provides linkages to community resources if needed, and is there to empower parent/caregivers during this process.
Mental Health Clinician – provides individual or family therapy services to address emotional needs and will also participate in the Child and Family Team meetings.
Among the reasons why Wraparound is helpful includes the following:
Expect to work collaboratively with the entire team in order to help develop the most individualized and comprehensive family development goals. Wraparound will also prioritize the family’s voice in all aspects of this collaboration by making sure that the family’s voice is respected and heard. And will help create a list of formal and informal supports for the family to use long after the initial Wraparound services have been delivered and the case is closed.
The purpose of the Child and Family Team meetings is to bring all family members together so that the family can work collaboratively with mental health and social services professionals as well as other community partners in order to fully develop a child and family safety plan. Child and Family Team meetings are an important part of both the IFCCS and Wraparound services programming efforts. These meetings are typically held when important decisions need to be made about the overall youth/family’s well-being.
All those involved in Child and Family Team meetings are selected by the child/youth/family to ensure that the client’s voice and needs are fully represented throughout the treatment process. Examples of who can take part in Child and Family Team meetings include: extended family members, friends, neighbors, faith leaders, mentors, or anyone else who can serve as an advocate and will help the youth/family reach their overall success goals.
This is an opportunity to personally take part in establishing family or personal growth goals and expressing preferences about the treatment approaches discussed. These meetings offer another layer of support by gathering the entire team to share family strengths or express concerns in order to best evaluate and update the overall family well-being and safety plan.
Expect to have the opportunity to lead your own meeting with the help of a facilitator, and have a right to establish the ground rules and purpose of every meeting. Another expectation is that every client is encouraged to take part in these meetings, as this process helps to ensure that every client reaches their personal growth or mental health milestones.
*Please note that our referrals primarily come from various governmental agencies, probation departments, the courts, local school districts, and other community partners. However, we are open to working with other organizations that also need assistance in providing quality outpatient mental health services to their clients.
**Spanish language services are available.
Crittenton is family to me. This is a family that makes sure that my kids and I get what is needed. It is the best way I can describe it, and Crittenton goes above and beyond. They have truly wrapped around my entire family, they cater to my needs, and they mean it when they say, ‘call us’, if you need support and we will be there. My team and I work together.
