Services

Therapeutic Foster Care

Foster care is designed to provide therapeutic opportunities that aid in the increase of emotional well-being, teach positive behaviors, and improve socialization. N.O.A.H. recognizes that therapeutic foster parents who are properly trained and fully supported can more effectively meet a child’s needs.

Strength-Based Mentoring Program

N.O.A.H.’s Mentoring Program is focused on providing youth with positive, inspirational mentors. This program is designed to assist, support and advocate for youth and their families. Services are provided by positive male/female role models who offer structured opportunities for youth and families to improve their self-development and socialization skills.

Independent Living Program

Independent living services are for teenagers and young adults between 12 -21 years of age. This program focuses on providing youth with the knowledge necessary to function independently and successfully in society.

N.O.A.H.’s Independent Living Program focuses on education, employment, community resources/ getting started and money management. Each child gains knowledge on the objectives and learns how to apply them to accomplishing their personal life goals. Each child is taught these objectives through professional presentations, mentoring, field trips, peer education, support groups, and hands-on experiences.

The Independent living group meets once each month; each child has an assignment to complete on a weekly basis. The client, foster parent, and case manager have clearly defined roles that will ensure the child successfully completes the program. Once a client has completed the program they will participate in a commencement exercise and receive a certificate of completion.

Kinship/Relative Care Program

Many children are cared for by family members other than their parents. These caregivers often find themselves unaware of the resources available to them. Through our kinship program, N.O.A.H. offers counseling, support groups, information sharing, and community resources awareness to these parents. All kinship parents are properly screened, trained and are well supported by our services.

Respite Care Program

The Respite Care Program provides therapeutic foster parents planned, periodic time away from the foster child. Respite care is the short-term care of a very dependent or difficult child which enables the parents - birth, foster or adoptive - to take a break. Some children's needs require round-the-clock intensive care and parents can soon become burned out. Respite fostering is often very rewarding, and a close relationship can grow up between families over the years.

Family Programs

N.O.A.H. provides family-centered, community-based and spiritual services to families and their children. Family Night is held quarterly and is designed to provide training and establish a supportive network for our foster parents while providing fun activities for our children.

Individual Therapy Program

NOAH progressive program provides therapy for kids of all ages. Our therapists provide therapeutic, cognitive-behavioral interventions and consult with legal guardians to bring change in a child’s behavior. The therapist work with children to assess what changes in a child’s routine or support are needed to correct problem behaviors. Youth, typically engage in interpersonal focused therapy where in the focus is on identifying the negative rhythms of behavior and thinking that mark their often troubled relationships.

Family Therapy

This format brings entire families together in therapy sessions. Working with a family therapist, you and your family will study your family's capacity to work out issues and express beliefs and emotions. You may dwell into family functions and behaviors to highlight problems that are factors in family discord, through this process family differences and strengths will be recognized such as confiding in one another, and areas of weakness, such as an incapacity to support one another.

Group Therapy

This form of therapy provides the added advantage of helping the patient to realize “you are not alone”, and there are other people who have the same problems. Fairly often the clients are shocked and relieved to hear this. Group therapy is a common practice, because of its close association with society in general, here group interactions will mirror societal interactions. The setup of the group allows members to use each other as sounding boards and funnels for new techniques and modifiers.

Counseling

This is a process designed to be a two way street, between the counselor and yourself designed to permanently change the desired attitude or behavior. You and your counselor will decide what problem(s) you will work on and together set goals that are practical and reachable. This is a step-by-step process that may require you to try new and different techniques to solve your difficulties. While you are the one who will do the work in the areas you wish to change, your counselor will support you each step of the way. A client will gain the most from counseling when you acknowledge that talking and opening up about problems feelings, and your thoughts is important. All while comprehending that change in yourself takes time and effort. Are you prepared to take responsibility for trying out new ideas discussed during counseling. In addition, you must raise any concerns or dissatisfactions about the way things are going with your counselors. The counselor has far-reaching academic/professional expertise and skills to assist you to understand your issues from a concave perspective. The counselor will assist you in identifying alternative courses of action, and help you to understand the positive possibilities from those actions, creating a changed and improved behavior plan.

Training Seminars

FAKT Program (Foster, Adoption, Kinship Training Program)

This program is designed to assist families interested in foster care, adoption or kinship care with their training needs. Thirty hours of pre-service training is required for foster/kinship care while an additional six hours are needed for adoptive families. Continuing education hours and Infant/Child/Adult CPR, First Aid and Universal Precautions classes are also available. Loving people from all walks of life can become foster parents. Single people or couples at least 21 years old, are eligible. Foster parent candidates must complete state licensing and training requirements, including a physical exam, positive references and child abuse and criminal background checks. After licensing, foster parents continue to build their skills by participating in ongoing training and development activities. We understand and believe in the importance of continuing education and development for foster families, even after licensing is completed.

NOAH’s foster family receives services and support including:

  • Ongoing training and development
  • Staff Support
  • Financial reimbursement
  • Respite Care

Home-Based Services

NOAH provides home-based services in the form of home studies. The following are the items needed to successfully complete a home study:

Autobiography

You and your partner will write an essay on your personal history. Included in the essay will be information on your family, your upbringing, and your educational background. This essay should assist the case manager in understanding your everyday life and whether or not a placement is a feasible idea.

Health Statement

A statement of health, or full examination from your doctor is required verifying you’re physically healthy to be considered as a child care provider. People with severe or chronic illness may not be suitable for adopting a child.

Background Records Check

The adoption home study includes a background/history check which must verify you and your partner are free of any criminal and child abuse charges. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks to receive the report back, Minor offenses will not be a deterrent, but it is equally important to inform your case manager of any potentially negative items.

Financial Statement

This report will inform your case manger of your financial standings, being wealthy is not a requirement, but it is important you are able to provide a financially stable household. Copies of your paycheck, mortgage or rent payments, car payments and income tax invoices will be needed.

Character References

Three personal references are required that will inform the case manager of your ability to be adoptive parents. Letters from friends, coworkers, or leaders in your community are acceptable, relatives are unacceptable. Refer to somebody who is close to you and your family.

Personal Interview

During this process the interviewer will evaluate your living areas and weekly lifestyle process. At this time living arrangements for the child should already be in place as well as social areas for the child. Everybody living in the house is required to participate and be part of the process. This is not a test but an assessment of your home and lifestyle for a potential placement.

Case Management

Upon receipt of a case, Case Manager’s initiates contact with DCS Family Case Managers, foster parents, and child (ren) with in 24 hours; initial treatment plans are devised within 5 business days, and collaborative contacts are made to ensure referrals for services; mental health referrals are made within 30 days. Team meetings are to be held with in 10 business days upon placement to ensure continuity of care. Ongoing assessments of child/children placed in the care of NOAH are paramount as the safety and well being of our children our number one priority.

Holistic treatment and care that is inclusive of client-centered, strengths-based, and ultimately faith-based practices to facilitate change in the lives children and families are at the very core of our vision and mission.