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Clinical Services

Clinical Services

Clinical services are provided by licensed master’s level clinicians throughout the continuum of care, including Residential Treatment, Group Living Services and Family Support and Stabilization. Interventions are designed to promote the safety and well-being of youth through an individualized, trauma-informed and strength-based and family-centered treatment. As an overall framework, The Deaconess Home implements a family systems approach that prioritizes permanency planning and is respectful of cultural influences, considers intellectual functioning, assesses risk and promotes positive and pro-social behavior.

Youth Advisory Board
Specialized Clinical Groups
Assessment
Crisis Stabilization
Permanency Planning
Community Support and Stabilization

The youth advisory board serves as a forum for residents to be involved in their treatment, safety and behavior support plans. Objectives of the Youth Advisory Board are as follows:

• To afford the opportunity to practice self-advocacy, accountability, communication and presentation.
• To reflect on the week that has passed and provide a fresh start for the week ahead
• To shape resident’s personal goals and treatment objectives
• To share information in order to provide a safe environment
• To suggest ideas for improvement regarding program rules, policies and practices
• To plan weekly activities that are in reflection of the resident’s interests
• To provide the forum to advance in the incentivized Level System
• To provide the opportunity to share ideas and suggestions for program policy or identify areas for improvement.
• To provide an opportunity to address peers or staff on a specific incident or ongoing issue.

Residents participate in Clinical Groups and are encouraged to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Group topics are considered in reflection of the current needs of the residents and their families. All groups are designed to be culturally competent; trauma informed and are facilitated and supervised by master’s level, licensed Clinicians. The Clinical Department offers a variety of topics; the following groups specifically encourage pro-social behavior and are considered both positive clinical and behavior support interventions.

Assessment: Residents receive a risk and crisis assessment, to be conducted by their individual clinician, within 24 hours of admission to the program. Treatment Planning: Residents participate in the development of an initial treatment plan within 24 hours of their arrival, as well as a more individualized and comprehensive treatment plan within 5 days. These plans will be created with the residents with their individual clinicians.

Safety Planning: The clinical staff of the Fall River Deaconess Home creates safety plans with each individual resident and their families that can be utilized to prevent or minimize the escalation of a crisis in the home or the community.

Trainings: Personnel of the Fall River Deaconess Home participate in ongoing trainings that address:

• Assessing residents’ needs in crisis situations
• Special issues regarding age, gender identity/crisis, substance use and mental health conditions, developmental disabilities,
and other needs typically presented by the service population. Trainings also address trauma-informed and culturally
competent care techniques and issues.
• De-escalation techniques
• Culturally competent, trauma-informed engagement techniques

The Fall River Deaconess Home provides crisis stabilization services that are resolution focused and are delivered in a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and culturally and linguistically responsive manner by qualified personnel. The Deaconess Home’s On-Call system provides 24/7 availability of qualified personnel. The system rotates on a weekly basis and consists of the following team members:

• 1 Administrator
• 1 Licensed Clinician
• 1 Registered Nurse
• 1 Program Director

The Fall River Deaconess Home offers the following services on a 24/7 basis:

a. Emergency Reception

b. Assessment and Evaluation

c. Observation and Monitoring

d. Crisis Counseling

e. Medication Management

f. Structured Therapeutic Activities

g. Support Services and Psycho-Education for Family Members

h. As Needed Referrals to Specialists and other Community-Based Services

The Fall River Deaconess Home works with the youth, family and referring agency to assess permanency goals and concurrent planning needs. Within thirty days of intake, clinical staff conduct a counseling session where the youth and family create their goals, objectives and the interventions that would need to occur in order to obtain permanency. This is then shared during subsequent treatment meetings. Family counseling sessions address the needs as well as progress towards achieving treatment goals, which could impact concurrent planning. The Fall River Deaconess Home provides transparency throughout the youth’s residency at the program.

The Deaconess Home documents efforts made to support families towards reunification. These efforts are documented in the following documents.

• Comprehensive assessment
• Treatment plans
• Progress reviews
• Discharge paperwork
• Meeting attendance sheets
• Daily service notes
• Clinical service notes
• Annual updates

The following Clinical Services are provided in our community-based support and stabilization program:
• Conduct intakes, admissions, and diagnostic assessments with clients to develop individualized treatment plans
• Facilitate psycho-educational and therapeutic client groups
• Consultation and documentation regarding clients’ functioning, mental health status, and treatment needs
• Clinical oversight, supervision, and training to Support Specialists