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Providing intensive support for families fighting addiction … In response to the crack epidemic of the late 1990's when unprecedented numbers of children were being removed from their homes for foster care placement, a more intensive level of preventive services was designed to stem this tide and maintain family unity while ensuring the safety of children. This more intensive level of preventive services was initially coupled with on-site drug treatment. Cardinal McCloskey Services operated two programs, one in our Hunt's Point office beginning in 1990 and one in East Harlem, beginning in 1994.
At-Risk Families Serviced at HomeEligibility for Family Rehabilitation Services requires that the parent is a substance abuser and that there is a child in the home under the age of six. Intensive interventions are initiated as soon as a family is referred to Cardinal McCloskey Services by New York City's Administration for Children's Services. CMS social workers who are specially-trained in the dynamics of substance abuse are expected to see each family to make an initial assessment within 48 hours of referral. Once assessed, social workers begin to engage the family in the development of a treatment plan. Very often this plan requires that we counsel the parent and help them to begin to see and accept the impact that their substance abuse is having on their families. Through this often-difficult process, our social workers are able to offer each family intensive intervention while monitoring the safety of children in the home. Each social worker works with no more than 10 families at a time to ensure each family is provided with maximum intervention services.
Collaboration with Substance Abuse ProvidersOur long-standing relationships with community-based providers of substance abuse treatment allows for the immediate referral of parents to treatment as soon as they are willing. Our social workers work hand in hand with the substance abuse treatment programs to help the parent through the early, difficult stages of abstinence and to support and encourage them as they begin to achieve a measure of sobriety. Throughout, workers collaborate to assess other family needs and to determine how families might best be supported through this difficult process. As families gain strength and confidence in their efforts toward sobriety, other needed services are identified and provided as appropriate.
Parent AidesIn addition to social work and treatment services, this program offers the assistance of parent aides in helping parents to meet the more concrete needs of their families. CMS parent aides offer a wide range of services which include helping parents negotiate other systems, i.e. welfare, medical, housing, etc. and in providing basic instruction where needed in household management, budgeting, cooking, cleaning and basic home maintenance.
Parenting Skills and Group WorkComprehensive Parent Training and other group work services enhance the individual counseling and drug treatment which are the core services provided in this program. A 20-session Parent Skills program offers both instruction in areas such as child development, positive discipline and effective parenting and offers parents the opportunity to share and learn from one another as they struggle with the challenges of parenting. The development of a strong peer network through this program also helps parents by providing them with a more positive support network than they may have experienced in the past. Group services are varied and designed to meet the needs of our current client population. Special groups for teen parents, fathers and teenagers have been held at various times as the result of on-going needs assessments. The short term nature of such groups serves to encourage participation as well as providing us with the opportunity to reach out to a larger audience. These groups, while designed to meet the needs of Cardinal McCloskey clients, are also open to other community agencies for referral when space allows.
Special ServicesThrough the generosity of charitable donations from foundations and corporations, we have been able to enhance our services through projects especially designed to meet unfulfilled needs of our clients. In recent years we have provided a literacy program for parents, a parenting program for families of children diagnosed with ADHD and the Horizons Club which provides remedial assistance to high school students. It includes group counseling to improve academic success and promote a more positive attitude in school. Presently, the B.E.S.T. Program is providing quality mental health services to our families, inclusive of individual therapy, group work, early development screening and couples counseling. 
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